University of California faculty joins calls to defund campus police

The UC Cops off Campus campaign is pushing for the removal of police officers from University of California campuses by September 1, 2021. 

Faculty joined students and community members for a series of protests across the nine University of California campuses starting in October.

UC-San Diego held a virtual protest, where they live-streamed a projection at the Price Center exhibiting silhouettes walking with picket signs. UC-Riverside hosted a teach-in series on anti-blackness followed by a demonstration in front of the UCPD station. UC-Santa Barbara held a rally that drew a crowd of more than 100 students and faculty members.

“We are scholars, faculty, staff [and] students who are deeply concerned with what the whole nation has been seeing in regards to the police, their use of violence and murder, especially [on] Black and Brown people,” UCSB English Department Assistant Professor Felice Blake told the Daily Nexus. 

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“We’re here because we want change,” said Blake. “We want it now, and we’re arguing for abolition.”

UCLA professor of urban planning Ananya Roy regularly takes to social media to call for abolishing the police. Earlier in 2020, she tweeted that three department chairs (public policy, social welfare, urban planning) signed the DIVEST/INVEST demands to UCLA leadership.

“We as faculty feel very strongly that as long as UCLA collaborates with LAPD it will be, and must be, held responsible for the police violence that takes place,” Roy told the Daily Bruin.

UCLA Bunche Center Director of Public Policy Isaac Bryan also joined the Daily Bruin to share why he believes in divesting from the police. He mentioned knowing various students of color who have bad experiences with police.

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“It’s about removing law enforcement as we know it,” said Bryan. “UCLA would have to think of alternative ways to provide people support.”

UCLA professor of musicology and African American studies Shana Redmond told the Daily Bruin, “We want the university to absolutely end all contracts with the Los Angeles police department.”

Campus Reform reached out to the University of California for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @JezzamineWolk