
UC Campuses Criticized Over Inconsistent Protest Policies
10/2/2024 | 2m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
UC campuses face criticism over inconsistent protest policies and enforcement.
After pro-Palestinian protests at UCLA, the University of California system faces scrutiny for inconsistent enforcement of protest regulations. As lawmakers withhold $25 million in funding, student leaders raise concerns about limited input in policy decisions. The debate continues on how campuses balance free speech and public safety.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal

UC Campuses Criticized Over Inconsistent Protest Policies
10/2/2024 | 2m 2sVideo has Closed Captions
After pro-Palestinian protests at UCLA, the University of California system faces scrutiny for inconsistent enforcement of protest regulations. As lawmakers withhold $25 million in funding, student leaders raise concerns about limited input in policy decisions. The debate continues on how campuses balance free speech and public safety.
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Hey Jill, don't -- [background noise] UCLA's pro-Palestinian encampment was attacked by counter-protestors April 30th, while campus safety and other police failed to intervene for hours.
ECLA became Exhibit A in the national discourse over student protests, violence and police reaction.
Nobody is attacking you.
We just want justice, don't you understand that?
Isn't that what you work for?
Police spent several hours telling encampment protestors to clear the area before making arrests About a day later, a phalanx of police officers from multiple agencies began clearing it.
Michael Drake, the president of the University of California wrote a letter last month telling the system's 10 campuses to ban encampments and regulate other protest-related conduct.
As the letter references, most of those regulations were already on the books for the schools.
The schools simply haven't enforced them with regularity.
State lawmakers withheld $25 million from the UC until the system updated its policies.
Aditi Hariharan, president of the UC-wide undergraduate student government group raised concerns about the limited student input in policymaking, which is part of a larger problem with how frequently Chancellors confer with student government.
Hariharan said Chancellors meet with their student body president once a quarter, and that's it.
CalMatters asked why the public should trust the campuses to enforce the newly articulated rules to detail when most campuses didn't enforce their own rules last spring.
Spokesperson, Step Holbrook said that UC campuses can use discretion in how they respond to protests.
Holbrook added that UCs needed to provide more clarity and consistency for "expressive activities on campus."
Lawmakers were scheduled to release $25 million in state funds to the UC if they received a report from the UC detailing its efforts.
The report was due October 1st.
With CalMatters, I'm Mia Henry with reporting by Mikhail Zinshteyn.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal