Hundreds of helmeted police swarmed the site of a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of California at Los Angeles early on Thursday, firing flash bangs, arresting defiant demonstrators and dismantling their encampment.

The pre-dawn police crackdown at UCLA marked the latest flashpoint in mounting tensions on U.S. college campuses, where protests over Israel’s war in Gaza have led to student clashes with each other and with law enforcement.

“I’m a student here. I’m an English major,” one student said to television cameras, as police dragged him away. “Please don’t fail us. Don’t fail us.”

Live TV footage showed officers taking down tents, tearing apart barricades and removing the encampment, while arrested protesters sat with their hands restrained behind their backs with zip-ties.

  • ultranaut@lemmy.world
    52·
    6 months ago

    All UC Campuses are private property of the UC Regents.

    That doesn’t sound right. The University of California system is public, the regents are appointed by the governor. UC property is owned by the state of California.

    • theareciboincident@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      71·
      6 months ago

      I’m not sure what to tell you other than you’re straight up wrong, mate. I agree that they should be public property 100% but that’s not what the law says, unjust or otherwise.

      UC property is owned by a public trust, which is a private entity, therefore the land is private property.

      Again I’m not saying I like it but unless the law changes, the state may enforce it with their monopoly on violence.

      The question is, what can oppressed people do against a tyrannical government when peaceful protest is met with violence?

      The answer is not allowed.

      • ultranaut@lemmy.world
        31·
        6 months ago

        A public trust is not a private entity, that’s why it’s called a public trust. What you’re claiming about the UC system doesn’t make sense. The power the regents wield flows from the governor and that’s it, the UC system is not privately owned.

        • BradleyUffner@lemmy.worldEnglish
          21·
          6 months ago

          By that logic the public owns all the police cars too, but you’re going to have a bad day if you decide to take one.

          • ultranaut@lemmy.world
            31·
            6 months ago

            Yes. The police have not been privatized yet, all the police cars are in fact owned by the public.

            • BradleyUffner@lemmy.worldEnglish
              1·
              6 months ago

              You missed my main point, where even though the public could be considered the owner of police cars, you can’t just take one and do whatever you want with it.