UC Davis responds to video of pro-Palestinian march through campus
DAVIS — Academic workers at UC Davis marched Tuesday in protest alongside pro-Palestinian demonstrators opposing the war in Gaza.
The protest came in response to an Orange County Superior Court judge's decision last week that University of California education workers must halt their strikes across six campuses. The judge claimed the strikes were negatively impacting students.
The strikes were started at UC Santa Cruz last month by the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 4811 and spread to other campuses, including UC Davis where academic workers walked off the job in late May.
These protests by academic workers began in response to their schools' responses to recent demonstrations over the conflict in Gaza. Aside from academic workers, UC Davis is one of many college campuses nationwide where pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up encampment protests.
The Popular University for the Liberation of Palestine (PULP) set up an encampment on campus in early May. Tuesday morning, PULP posted to social media a schedule of events that included a press conference with UAW 4811 that was to be followed by a march that began at the Memorial Union Quad.
On Tuesday, a counter-protester group known as the October 7th Coalition was there and sent CBS Sacramento a 26-second video of the protest, which CBS News confirmed was taken on the UC Davis campus.
In the video, protesters can be heard chanting: "Al-Qassam you make us proud. Kill another soldier now. Al-Qassam you make us proud. Kill another hundred now."
UC Davis issued a statement in response to the video. That statement said:
UC Davis rejects all forms of violence and discrimination as antithetical to the values of our university.
When the university receives a complaint alleging discrimination, hostile environment, or other offensive behavior, it immediately reaches out to the affected parties to provide support and resources, and reviews the allegations under the university's anti-discrimination policy.
UC Davis is committed to a safe and peaceful campus environment that respects our community's right to free expression while maintaining our educational and research mission without disruption.
On Monday, pro-Palestinian demonstrators blockaded a street at UC Davis, which disrupted campus bus service. These protests come at a critical time for students as it is spring quarter finals week.
