(LOS ANGELES, CA – 4/29/2024) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today called on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) administration to investigate reports of counter-protesters harassing students at the UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment as possible hate crimes and demanded that the university take immediate measures to protect its students.
SEE: Video of Backpack Filled With Mice Thrown Into UCLA Gaza Encampment – credit: Sabiha Khan
A recent post on X (formerly Twitter) shows a video of a backpack full of mice that was allegedly thrown into the UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment by a group of people outside the camp.
The social media account claimed that the campus security who witnessed the incident called the police and officers removed the mice and the backpack but did not approach the people who allegedly threw it.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“This incident is part of the constant, daily harassment that students at the UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment have been subjected to by counter-protesters in support of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. The university must take immediate action to protect the students participating in the encampment.
“We call on UCLA administration to investigate these reports of harassment and take steps to ensure the safety of the encampment participants as they exercise their right to protest.”
SEE ALSO: UCLA community organizes encampment in response to national call for escalation
Students and community members set up the UCLA Gaza Solidarity Encampment on the school’s campus on Thursday, April 25, as part of a nationwide student movement calling on universities and colleges to divest from university investments tied to Israeli apartheid.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Coordinator Madi Morse-Hameed, mmorse-hameed@cair.com