UCLA admits it put up barriers to ‘reinforce’ anti-Israel camp, legal group claims

The University of California, Los Angeles has admitted that it supported pro-Palestinian activists at the school’s anti-Israel encampment, claims a legal group. 

A July 16 press release from the Becket Fund, which is representing three UCLA students in a lawsuit against the school, attacked UCLA for neglecting its duty to defend Jewish students against anti-Semitic harassment. 

UCLA disavowed “any obligation to protect its Jewish students, and claimed—despite the numerous encampments that have continued to mar the face of UCLA’s campus—that the students have nothing to fear when classes begin again,” Becket claims. 

[RELATED: UCLA accused of ‘blaming the victims’ for its defense against anti-Semitism suit]

The Becket Fund also claimed that the California school directly aided anti-Israel protesters, admitting “to the court that UCLA itself set up barricades reinforcing” the anti-Israel encampment on its campus, which was dispersed in early May. 

“UCLA’s attempt to dodge responsibility for the ongoing antisemitism on its campus is transparent and shameful,” said Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and one of the students’ representatives. “No one is fooled—UCLA alone bears the blame for allowing and assisting mobs of masked antisemites who threaten, assault, and segregate Jewish students.”  

“Universities that abandon their duty to protect students from vicious targeting must face the consequences,” Rienzi continued. “The court should hold UCLA accountable for its discriminatory behavior and ensure the safety of Jewish students before the start of the fall semester.” 

The three Jewish UCLA students who sued the school on June 5 alleged that UCLA has become a “hotbed of antisemitism,” and claimed that “UCLA officials routinely turned their backs on Jewish students, aiding and abetting a culture that has allowed calls for the annihilation of the Jewish people, Nazi symbolism, and religious slurs to go unchecked.”

[RELATED: Another UCLA student sues school over handling of pro-Hamas encampment]

UCLA insists it is “committed” to maintaining campus safety, telling the Jewish Journal: “UCLA remains committed to supporting the safety and wellbeing of the entire Bruin community. We will respond to the allegations made in this filing in court and will not comment on this ongoing litigation.”

Campus Reform has contacted the University of California, Los Angeles for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.