UCLA Students Plan 'Abomination' Protest on Oct. 7 Anniversary
Translated & summarized from Channel 9 by baba
Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA are organizing a protest on October 7th, the third anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, to support "Palestinian resistance." The demonstration, scheduled for noon on Bruin Plaza, has been labeled an "abomination" by critics. The university has a history of intense protests and counter-protests surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, including legal action by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging indifference to anti-Jewish harassment. UCLA is fighting these claims and a demand for repayment of research funds.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- UCLA's Students for Justice in Palestine will protest on the 3rd anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
- The protest aims to mark three years of "escalating genocide in Palestine" and support Palestinian resistance.
- Critics have called the planned demonstration an "abomination" and expressed intent to counter-protest.
- The university has faced legal action from the U.S. Department of Justice over alleged indifference to anti-Jewish harassment.
- UCLA is contesting the lawsuit and a federal demand to repay over $2 billion in research funds.
Radical students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) are planning a march in support of "Palestinian resistance" on the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack. The protest, organized by the university's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7th, coinciding with the third anniversary of the Hamas assault that killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in Israel. The demonstration is set to begin at noon local time on Bruin Plaza, which is 10:00 PM Israeli time. SJP stated the protest aims to mark three years of what they call "escalating genocide in Palestine" and to "recognize and support" Palestinian resistance. Organizers described the protest's goals as recognizing and supporting Palestinian resistance and transforming grief into political action, stating, "The genocide in Palestine has not slowed down, and neither should we."
The planned demonstration has already drawn sharp criticism, with online commenters calling it an "abomination" and expressing a desire to counter-protest. Journalists reached out to the UCLA SJP chapter and Jewish campus organizations, including Bruins for Israel and Hillel, for comment, but they declined to respond.
The anniversary of October 7th has become a particularly tense time at UCLA, which has seen numerous protests and counter-protests related to the Israel-Hamas war. Last year, around 70 participants marched on campus, carrying Palestinian flags and chanting slogans like "Free Palestine" and "Israel is a terrorist state." In 2024, approximately 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators and 200 supporters of Bruins for Israel held separate marches, while 1,200 small flags were placed on campus to commemorate the victims of the Hamas attack, with at least one person seen trampling them.
This year's events occur amidst ongoing legal battles. In May, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against UCLA, alleging the university "deliberately showed indifference" to discrimination and harassment against Jewish and Israeli students, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit specifically cited a pro-Palestinian encampment that emerged in April 2024, claiming Jewish and Israeli students faced attacks and disruptions to their education. The university strongly disputes these claims, asserting it has implemented significant reforms to campus safety and protest policies. In 2025, the university also faced a temporary suspension of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research grants due to accusations of antisemitism and bias, though funding was later restored. UCLA is actively contesting the Justice Department's lawsuit, seeking its dismissal and labeling the government's actions as "political coercion," while also challenging a federal demand to repay over two billion dollars in research funds.