UCLA's history department denounces university's actions surrounding pro-Palestinian encampment

The quad outside UCLA's Royce Hall remains empty and locked down with only security and police standing guard around leftover graffiti since the events earlier this week. 

More than 200 people were arrested as police moved in early Thursday morning and cleared the pro-Palestinian encampment outside Royce Hall, but as the dust settles, there is an outcry. Faculty from the UCLA History Department posted two letters condemning the leadership for not protecting students in the encampment and how it was dismantled.

"The statement expresses the outrage of the history department as to what occurred," Professor James Gelvin said. "The administration did very little to protect students. In the second case, well, they're also doing very little to protect students from the police in this case. So, the history department decided that it was necessary for us to express out outrage to what took place on our campus."

Gelvin teaches Middle East studies. He and his colleagues are demanding an independent investigation into the violence over the past week. They also called on the university not to punish the students and a promise to hire a chancellor who shares their views on freedom of speech and expression.

Bruins for Israel, along with local Jewish leaders, said the encampment created a hostile environment for Jewish students. 

"These past several days have been very difficult for Jewish students and specifically when the encampment went up, Jewish students were incredibly intimidated," Bruins for Israel Vice President Gabby Lasry said. 

While admitting that some of his students reported antisemitism stemming from the camp, Gelvin believes that the focus should be on the situation in Gaza. 

"They've reported them to me. I take them at face value. I think they're horrific," he said. "On the other hand, what we should do is focus on the big issue. I mean, we're losing sight now of what's the big issue. That big issue is Gaza and the incredibly horrific humanitarian crisis that there is in Gaza."

The UC Regents held a closed-door meeting after the pro-Palestinian encampment was cleared on Thursday.