The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

Law enforcement are searching for a group of three men who hurled a racial slur at a group of UCLA students who were seated outside a Chick-fil-A restaurant just before 1 a.m. The driver of a dark-colored SUV yelled a slur at the students and the front passenger threw an open water bottle at them.

The water bottle hit one of the students, police said.

The driver was described as a man in his 20s with blonde hair, the front passenger was described as a man in his 20s with dark hair and a white shirt, and the rear passenger was just described as a man.

No arrests have been made in connection with the hate crime attack.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the UCLA Police Department at 310-825-1491.

The first victim developed symptoms that may not be related to alcohol after attending three parties along Gayle Avenue on Oct. 3, according to the University of California Police Department. 

The second victim was at a party on the 600 block of Gayle Avenue on Oct. 5 and was handed a drink, which later led to the symptoms that may not be from alcohol or marijuana, police said.

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According to a UCLA Police Department crime alert issued Monday, the case was classified as “off campus aggravated assault use of drugs” and the locations were listed as the 500 block and the 600 block of Gayley Avenue.

Both victims received medical treatments at the emergency room.

No suspect descriptions were available as of Monday.

Demonstrators used drums and musical instruments to make noise while chanting,” Free Palenstine.”

Officers from the University of California Police Department were seen monitoring activities near the protesters, but no one was detained as the demonstration appeared peaceful as of Monday evening.

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The order came at the conclusion of a daylong hearing Wednesday in which U.S. District Judge David O. Carter said voiced frustration at UCLA and other ex-leaseholders at the VA’s West Los Angeles campus for not offering satisfactory uses for land for which it had illegally contracted.

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A UCLA official rushed to the courtroom in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday evening after hearing that Carter was ready to lock down the baseball stadium. The official could not persuade the federal judge to do otherwise, and Carter said he would go to the VA’s West Los Angeles campus on Thursday to ensure his orders had been followed.

VA security placed locks on all entrances and exit gates to the stadium and an adjacent practice field and posted no trespassing signs in the area at about noon Thursday. UCLA employees could be seen earlier carrying various supplies out of the complex.

UCLA Athletics and the university issued a statement early Thursday afternoon, insisting that “UCLA unequivocally supports veterans, including making sure our country’s heroes get the housing and healthcare they need and deserve.

“The VA has leased a small part of its land to UCLA since 1963. In exchange, the VA receives annual compensation that supports several veteran programs. Last night, a judge prohibited UCLA’s use of this lease by noon today — we are disappointed with the ruling but are complying. UCLA Athletics is actively working to adjust operations and training, as this means our students are no longer able to access Jackie Robinson Stadium.

“We hope for a swift legal resolution that lets our student-athletes return to the facility. It*s deeply important to be clear on this point: UCLA supports veterans.”

Carter warned at the hearing that he was also on the verge of ordering the private Brentwood School’s athletic center on VA grounds “bulldozed” and its swimming pool “filled with sand” unless the school handed over VA land and devised a way for military veterans to enjoy the center, along with the student body.

The lengthy hearing followed a strongly worded ruling issued earlier this month in which Carter blasted the VA for “turning its back” on the veterans it was designed to help by illegally leasing portions of the campus to UCLA’s baseball team, the affluent Brentwood School, an oil company, and other private interests on the agency’s West Los Angeles campus.

The judge ordered the leases terminated.

During the Los Angeles federal court hearing Wednesday, Carter used threats and old-fashioned horse trading to cajole the affluent Brentwood School into attempting to make a deal whereby between 4 and 5 acres of land it had leased from the VA would be given to veterans. The school also offered to greatly expand hours for veterans to use the complex.

But after a group of veterans met in the back of the courtroom and nixed the deal, Carter gave the proposal a thumbs down.

The developments stem from a monthlong non-jury trial of a lawsuit lodged in federal court against the VA by a group of unhoused veterans with disabilities, challenging land lease agreements and seeking housing on the campus for veterans in need, many of whom are homeless or must travel for hours to see their doctors.

Over the past five decades, Carter wrote, the VA in West L.A. “has been infected by bribery, corruption, and the influence of the powerful and their lobbyists, and enabled by a major educational institution in excluding veterans’ input about their own lands.”

During trial, the VA argued that it is out of space on its 388-acre campus, and that the lack of available acreage precludes any increase to the 1,200 housing units the agency promised to open by 2030. VA attorneys alleged that any relief ordered by the court would burden the department financially and deprive it of the flexibility needed to solve veteran homelessness.

Ultimately, the court found that veterans are entitled to more than 2,500 units of housing at the campus “and termination of the illegal land-use agreements.”

Carter previously said the court would begin to determine an “exit strategy” for the lease holders in order to ensure the land — including the 10 acres rented to UCLA — is put to a use that principally benefits veterans.

The judge’s ruling orders the VA to build 750 units of temporary housing within 18 months and to form a plan within six months to add another 1,800 units of permanent housing to the roughly 1,200 units already in planning and construction under the settlement terms of an earlier lawsuit.

Carter, himself a Vietnam War veteran, found that the VA “has allowed the drastic reduction of the size of the original plot of land deeded in 1888 to be an old soldiers’ home. In a series of lengthy, renewable leases, the VA authorized leaseholders to build permanent athletic facilities — after permitting these concrete structures to be built on veterans’ land.”

The judge held that for years the VA — budgeted at $407 billion annually — has “quietly sold off” land badly needed for injured and homeless military veterans.

VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said in a recent statement to City News Service the agency “will continue to do everything in our power to end
veteran homelessness — both in Los Angeles and across America. No veteran should be homeless in this country they swore to defend, and we will not rest until veteran homelessness is a thing of the past.”

Hayes did not comment on the judge’s findings regarding the leaseholders.

A UCLA representative said early this month that the university and VA have had a “longstanding public service partnership” over more than 70 years.

“Working with the VA to serve veterans continues to be one of our key objectives as part of UCLA’s mission of teaching, research and public service,” according to UCLA. “We are reviewing the judge’s (leaseholder) decision to determine how it will affect our partnership with the VA.”

The preliminary injunction marks the first time a U.S. judge has ruled against a university over the demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses earlier this year.

U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed in June by three Jewish students at UCLA. The students alleged that they experienced discrimination on campus during the protest because of their faith and that UCLA failed to ensure access to campus for all Jewish students.

“In the year 2024, in the United States of America, in the State of California, in the City of Los Angeles, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith.” Scarsi wrote.

UCLA argued that it has no legal responsibility over the issue because protesters, not the university, blocked Jewish students’ access to the school. The university also worked with law enforcement to thwart attempts to set up new protest camps.

Scarsi ruled that the university is prohibited from providing classes and access to buildings on campus if Jewish students are blocked from it.

Yitzchok Frankel, a UCLA law student who filed the lawsuit, celebrated the order.

“No student should ever have to fear being blocked from their campus because they are Jewish,” Frankel said in a statement. “I am grateful that the court has ordered UCLA to put a stop to this shameful anti-Jewish conduct.”

UCLA spokesperson Mary Osako said the ruling “would improperly hamstring our ability to respond to events on the ground and to meet the needs of the Bruin community.”

The university is also considering all available options moving forward, she said.

“UCLA is committed to fostering a campus culture where everyone feels welcome and free from intimidation, discrimination, and harassment,” Osako said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The ruling came after Scarsi ordered UCLA last month to create a plan to protect Jewish students. The University of California, one of the nation’s largest public university systems, is also working on systemwide campus guidelines on protests.

The demonstrations at UCLA became part of a movement at campuses across the country against the Israel-Hamas war. At UCLA, law enforcement ordered in May that over a thousand protesters break up their encampment as tensions rose on campus. Counter-demonstrators had attacked the encampment overnight and at least 15 protesters suffered injuries. In June, dozens of protesters on campus were arrested after they tried to set up a new encampment.

Jordan Chiles announced Thursday that she plans to return to UCLA after her medal winning performance at the Paris Olympics.

Our girl @chilesjordan has a big announcement to make … 👀‼️ @uclagymnastics We're so proud of you, Jordan! pic.twitter.com/vU0Cl8va4t

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 8, 2024

Chiles won team gold in the all-around last week and earned a bronze in the floor exercise on Monday. She will have two years of eligibility after she redshirted last season to prepare for a shot at the Olympics.

Chiles had earlier told The Associated Press that leaving school was difficult but necessary for her training. She said she tried to stay close to the Bruins’ program during her time away from Westwood.

UCLA Gymnastics posted on X, “She’s THAT girl, and she’s back at @UCLA in 2025! Get ready for some 🔥 Pauley parties with Jordan Chiles and the Bruins this coming season!”

She’s THAT girl, and she’s back at @UCLA in 2025!

Get ready for some 🔥 Pauley parties with Jordan Chiles and the Bruins this coming season!

ℹ️: https://t.co/W4bHLqvklC
🎟️: https://t.co/jHROEbVFWN#GoBruins | #OlympiansMadeHere pic.twitter.com/DfxsaDHF0L

— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) August 8, 2024

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Chiles also won three medals at the 2022 World Championships, and three at the 2023 Pan American Games.

In 2022, she led the Bruins in team competition with 432.775 points and recorded three perfect 10s — two on the floor exercise and one on uneven bars.

When the Bruins’ 2025 season begins in January, Chiles will be one of three Olympians on the squad, joining Emma Malabuyo of the Philippines and Brooklyn Moors of Canada.

Amy Wang, 21, is America’s top women’s table tennis player from Sewell, New Jersey. Her roommate, Rachel Sung, 19, hails from San Jose and ranks number three in the nation. 

The UCLA athletes spend most of their time on their respective majors, neurobiology and cognitive science but took a bet on their athletic abilities. 

“When it finally hit me, I was just really overwhelmed. It didn’t feel real,” Sung said about the moment she learned she qualified for the Paris Olympics. 

That sense of anxiety quickly turned into excitement. The two athletes prevailed at nationals, securing a spot at the summer Paris Olympics. 

“I was also really happy, really emotional,” Wang said about competing in the Olympics. 

Their lives as students, however, have proven difficult at times to find time for the sport they love.

“If I want to practice, I want to find her to practice with,” Sung said. “Our schedules – it’s really hard to find times that match up.”

The friendship between the athletes was born after competing against each other in high school. Being roommates at UCLA helps with the carpooling to their rosemead practice facility, but it also presents a downside, according to U.S. Olympic Table Tennis coach Jun Gao, a former medal winner herself. 

“They always talk, even during the practice,” Gao said. “I have to stop them.”  

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2024 Paris Olympics Aug 5

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While both have failed to make the podium individually, they are scheduled to continue to seek America’s first ever table tennis medal in the team competition. 

The two young Bruins – best friends, roommates and scholars – headed to Paris dead serious about winning and competing for their nation. 

“For Rachel, it’s normal. Outside, she’s quiet. And in the game, (she) has the control,” Gao said. “For Amy, outside, she’s super quiet. But when she plays, she’s a killer.” 

Her bubbly personality was hard to miss that even Beyonce and another Olympic gold medalist Michael Jordan, whom the gymnast was named after, reached out to Chiles with their best wishes before the 2024 Olympics. 

As her caring and compassionate side comes second nature to the two-time Olympian, Chiles stepped into the spotlight at the Tokyo Games when her training partner, friend and fellow gymnast, Simone Biles, stepped off the mat to focus on her mental health during the Tokyo Olympics.

“Being able to see her go through what she was going through made me realize she is, yes, the greatest of all time in our sport but also still goes through what everybody else goes through,” Chiles observed. 

Working side by side with Biles, one of the greatest athletes in the world, has also encouraged Chiles to be open and honest about who she is. 

“My personality is very outgoing and spunky,” Chiles explained. “As I’ve gotten older, I kind of just embraced it because when I was younger, people always just thought it’s a little annoying. But why should I dim myself when I can just brighten up everything?”

Being Jordan Chiles also means being passionate about her causes and participating in charity work, including projects with Girl Scouts and hospitals.

“Recently, my aunt passed away due to cancer, so I want to figure out how I can help with a lot of cancer patients or just be able to always let them know there’s always going to be someone with them no matter what,” she explained.

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Chiles is a proud Angeleno as the city of Los Angeles welcomes anyone with a big personality like hers.

“I’ve been an LA girl ever since I was little. UCLA was my dream school, so being able to accomplish everything that I’ve done with them, it’s just a cherry on top.”

Jordan stepped away from collegiate competition in 2023 to focus on making the summer games in Paris, and it paid off. Jordan earned a spot on Team USA, with her UCLA coach watching from the stands at the Olympic trials in June. 

“I love her. She enjoys my gymnastics. She always tells me, ‘I just enjoy watching you so much, you have fun with everything,’” Chiles said.

As Chiles takes in every moment, including the time on the Paris Olympics podium where a gold medal was placed around her neck, she puts her hands together as her hand tattoo reads ‘pray.’

“I always bring it back to my quote, always believe in the power of your dreams.”

The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

The UCLA Police Department issued a crime alert to its students regarding the attack, which took place just after 2:30 a.m. Friday. In the alert, campus police said the student was in bed when a man entered her dorm in the Saxon Suites and then sexually assaulted her.

Following the attack, the assailant left the dorm in an unknown direction. It is unclear how he gained entry to the dormitory.

Police described the man as being in his 30s, having a heavy-set build and a curly beard. He wore all black and a beanie at the time of the attack.

Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact UCLAPD at 310-825-1491.

Block, who has served UCLA as chancellor for 17 years, announced his retirement in August 2023. Block’s term officially ends on July 31. 

UCLA executive vice chancellor and provost Darnell Hunt will serve as interim chancellor before Frenk begins his role on Jan 1, 2025.

Here’s what to know about UCLA’s new chancellor Dr. Julio Frenk.

Background

Dr. Frenk is a Mexican-born, fourth-generation physician. His paternal grandparents fled Germany in the early 1930s for Mexico.

He holds a medical degree from the National University of Mexico, as well as a master of public health and a joint PhD in Medical Care Organization and Sociology from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Frenk’s career spans academia and government positions.

Academic career

Dr. Frenk has served the University of Miami as president since 2015. At Miami, Frenk also held positions as Professor of Public Health Sciences at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and as Professor of Health Sector Management and Policy at the School of Business Administration.

Prior to his tenure at the University of Miami, Dr. Frenk was Dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health where he simultaneously taught as the T & G Angelopoulos Professor of Public Health and International Development.

Dr. Frenk also holds honorary degrees from seven universities.

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Experience in government

From 2000 to 2006, Dr. Frenk served as Mexico’s National Health Secretary. 

As part of his effort to reform the nation’s health system, Dr. Frenk helped launch Seguro Popular, a program that aimed to provide universal health insurance. Seguro Popular has been credited with helping expand healthcare access for more than 55 million people in Mexico, according to a press release from UCLA.

Dr. Frenk was also the founding director-general of Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health, and also served the World Health Organization as an executive director. 

In 2008, before coming to Harvard, he was a senior fellow with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s global health program, advising the organization’s global health strategy.

Publications and awards

Dr. Frenk has published more than 160 articles in academic journals in addition to numerous academic books and book chapters. He has been cited over 13,000 times. 

Besides writing academic papers, Dr. Frenk has also published three novels explaining human body functions for young audiences.

Dr. Frenk currently serves on the boards of the United Nations Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and has received accolades such as the Clinton Global Citizen Award, the Bouchet Medal for Outstanding Leadership and the Welch-Rose Award for Distinguished Service.

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The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

• UCLA will host around 70 commencement ceremonies and celebrations.
• There will be no large ceremony to celebrate all graduates simultaneously.
• Students will be allocated tickets based on the size of their graduation’s venue.
• Some ceremonies will be livestreamed.

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will kick off its five-day commencement celebrations on Thursday June 13, with over 70 events scheduled for the Class of 2024.

The main commencement ceremony will celebrate graduates in the College of Letters and Science and will take place in three installments. All three ceremonies will be held at the university’s Pauley Pavilion.

The Professional School graduation ceremonies will be held at venues around UCLA’s campus, varying in size depending on the amount of graduates. The university will also hold departmental graduation ceremonies for undergraduates at various on-campus venues where students will receive recognitions amongst students in their same areas of study.

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All venues are accessible and will uphold strict bag policies. The larger venues will only allow clear bags, while the smaller venues will allow clear bags and small clutches.

All guests attending commencement ceremonies will require a ticket. Each graduate will be allocated a certain number of tickets depending on the venue their ceremony will be taking place in. Children under 2 years old will not require a ticket for admission.

Earlier this month, Gene Block, the university’s chancellor who will be stepping down at the end of July, wrote in a statement that he is “happy to confirm that UCLA will honor students’ achievements with our regular in-person commencement.”

He described this being particularly important to the Class of 2024, many of whom’s high school graduations were canceled due to the pandemic.

The larger of these celebrations will be livestreamed. The university recommends that those who wish to livestream ceremonies visit the website of the College or department desired to ensure they will be able to do so.

Find the full list of graduation ceremonies, dates, locations, and times here.

The UCLA chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine began a vigil at 2 p.m. Monday in Bruin Plaza. They attempted to set up an encampment on campus, and minor skirmishes were seen as officers began taking positions to push out the group that was near Dodd Hall.

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The protest included a funeral-procession-like march with people carrying fake bloody bodies and body parts. The group gathered in the Dickson Plaza area, the site of a large encampment earlier this year that stayed in place for more than a week before it was dismantled by police in an operation that resulted in more than 200 arrests.

After several hours of peaceful protest, the situation became chaotic when protesters began chanting the names of thousands of people who have died in the Gaza Strip. Police said protesters damaged property and block access to buildings. Protesters also dyed the water in a plaza fountain red.

“As a result of the unauthorized and unlawful encampments at the three locations, the group damaged the Shapiro fountain, spray-painted brick walkways, tampered with fire safety equipment, damaged patio furniture, stripped wire from electrical fixtures, and vandalized vehicles,” UCLA campus police said in a statement.

Police had previously ordered protesters on several occasions to disperse. At about 1:30 a.m., the majority of the protesters had left the area.

The protest was the latest of several over the war in Gaza on the Westwood campus.

“The names of the over 36,000 people that have been murdered when the LAPD basically came in by force and we all had to make a line of defense to make sure that they didn’t arrest people,” said Michele Xai, a protester. “They started shooting rubber bullets at the students…they arrested it seems like 22 students when we were defending the camp and now we are waiting where they are going to take them to go get them out…”

The UCLA protests reached a flashpoint on April 30 when counterdemonstrators attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing traffic cones, releasing pepper spray and tearing down barriers. Fighting continued for several hours before police stepped in, and no one was arrested. At least 15 protesters suffered injuries.

Sporadic disruptions continued following the dismantling of a pro-Palestinian encampment and some 200 arrests. The university closed fore a day, then shifted to online classes. On May 6, about 40 people were arrested during protests on the campus over the war in Gaza.

The violence led UCLA Chancellor Gene Block to announce a newly created Office of Campus Safety to administer policing and emergency management. On May 23, Block testified before Congress about UCLA’s response to antisemitism on the campus and actions to protect Jewish students.

NBCLA’s Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.

The strike at UCLA is part of a wave of rolling strikes by unionized academic workers, such as teaching assistants, readers, tutors, student researchers and academic researchers. Striking workers claim the UC system mishandled its response to campus protests over the war in Gaza.

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Those protests included an encampment of pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the Westwood campus that was cleared out days after a violent clash involving counter-protesters. The overnight police operation ended in about 200 arrests.

Workers represented by United Auto Workers Local 4811 have already been striking at UC Santa Cruz in what the union called the first wave of planned walkouts. According to the union, the second round of strikes will begin Tuesday at UCLA and UC Davis.

The strike is in response to what the unionized workers called egregious unfair labor practices, including “summoning militarized police officers from numerous outside law enforcement to violently eject and arrest peaceful protesters.”

The UC system has blasted the union’s allegations and filed unfair labor practice complaints of its own, saying the union’s labor contract has a no-strike provision and that the union’s demands are outside the scope of union labor issues. In a statement released before the union’s strike-authorization vote, officials at the University of California Office of the President said, “UC believes that the vote currently being conducted by UAW leadership sets a dangerous precedent that would introduce non-labor issues into labor agreements. If a strike is allowed for political and social disputes, the associated work stoppages would significantly impact UC’s ability to deliver on its promises to its students, community and the State of California.”

UAW Local 4811 is asking the UC schools to give amnesty to all academic employees and students who face arrest or disciplinary actions for protesting. The union wants the students to have guarantees of freedom of speech and political expression on campus and is asking for researchers to be able to opt out of funding sources tied to the Israeli Defense Force.

Sporadic disruptions continued following the dismantling of the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA. On May 6, about 40 people were arrested during protests on the campus over the war in Gaza.

Last week, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block was one of three college presidents and chancellors who testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee about the demonstrations and allegations of antisemitism on campuses. Block said the school should have been prepared to immediately remove the original encampment.

Block, who is set to retire at the end of July, testified two days after it was reported that the university’s police chief was removed from his job and reassigned. Chief John Thomas faced criticism over his handling of the demonstrations that included an attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment.

Block announced that a former Sacramento police chief would lead a new Office of Campus Safety that will oversee the UCLA Police Department.

Israel faces global criticism over the mounting death toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More than 900,000 Palestinians have been displaced by fighting in the past few weeks alone, and now lack shelter, food, water and other essentials, the U.N. humanitarian agency said Wednesday.

At least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducted about 250.

Edan On, 18, was arrested and booked for felony assault with a deadly weapon. On is not a student, faculty, or staff at UCLA.

According to detectives, On threw a pole, and seriously injured at least one person. Detectives have used pictures, surveillance, and cell phone video of the night of the attack to identify the attackers.

Some students shared they were happy to hear arrests were being made but still felt like law enforcement and UCLA officials could do more.

“I’m glad that there is action finally being taken against those instigators and yet at the same time I don’t feel like UCLA PD nor UCLA administration has done nearly enough to go after the instigators,” said Isabella Crone-Baron, a student at UCLA.

Another student shared that video evidence may not tell the full story and On may have been defending himself.

“He should be able to explain his side of it, there might be more to it, maybe somebody went for him right before that, we just don’t know,” said Jon Jenkins, a Senior Scholars student at UCLA.

The arrest is just the latest development in another long week for the University.

On May 22, UCLA removed and reassigned Police Chief John Thomas, who faced criticism for the police response after violence broke out on campus.

On May 23, Chancellor Gene Block faced tough questions about the protests and violence when he testified in front of a House committee.

As Block testified, another encampment formed on campus. This time police responded much sooner and broke it up hours after it was formed.

On is being held on $30,000 bail.

As the investigation continues, detectives ask anyone with information about the attacks on May 1 to contact the UCLA Police Department.

The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

Block, who is set to retire at the end of July, testified three weeks after law enforcement cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus and arrested more than 200 people and two days after it was reported that the university’s police chief was removed from his job and reassigned. Chief John Thomas faced criticism over his handling of the demonstrations that included an attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment.

UCLA May 22

UCLA police chief reassigned following campus unrest

Israel-Hamas War May 9

Protesters arrested at UCLA had metal pipes, bolt cutters and DIY occupation guide, police say

Block is one of three college presidents and chancellors who went before the House Education and Workforce Committee. Thursday’s hearing is the latest in a series by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce into how colleges have responded to the protests and allegations of antisemitism.

The leaders who testified Thursday are the first from public universities to go before Congress. Public universities are more strictly governed by First Amendment and free speech considerations. Earlier hearings largely focused on private, Ivy League colleges.

In prepared remarks obtained by NBC News, Block stressed the legal challenges a public university faces when dealing with campus protests.

Block admitted shortcomings in the university’s response to the original encampment, saying it should have acted to remove the protesters sooner.

“With the benefit of hindsight, we should have been prepared to immediately remove the encampment if and when the safety of our community was put at risk,” Block told the committee. “We’ve since taken decisive action. I’ve created a new office of campus safety that reports directly to me.

“Finally, we will hold accountable all those who engaged in violence or violated our policies. No student should be threatened or excluded based on their beliefs or identity. While we will always have to strive hard to meet this obligation, we must also maintain our commitment to academic freedom and free speech.”

The UCLA protests reached a flashpoint on April 30 when counterdemonstrators attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing traffic cones, releasing pepper spray and tearing down barriers. Fighting continued for several hours before police stepped in, and no one was arrested. At least 15 protesters suffered injuries.

Sporadic disruptions continued following the dismantling of a pro-Palestinian encampment and some 200 arrests. The university closed fore a day, then shifted to online classes. On May 6, about 40 people were arrested during protests on the campus over the war in Gaza.

After the first of the Congressional hearings in December, an outcry of criticism from donors, students and politicians led to the resignations of the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, who gave cautious, halting answers to questions about whether calls for the genocide of Jewish people would violate their schools’ conduct policies.

In April, the committee turned its attention to Columbia President Minouche Shafik, who took a more conciliatory approach to Republican-led questioning. Shafik’s disclosure of disciplinary details and concessions around faculty academic freedom upset students and professors at Columbia. Her testimony, and subsequent decision to call in police, escalated protests on campus that inspired students at other colleges to launch similar demonstrations.

Originally, the presidents of Yale University and the University of Michigan were called to testify. But the committee shifted its attention to Northwestern and Rutgers after those colleges struck deals with pro-Palestinian protesters to limit or disband encampments.

Expected to testify Thursday are Michael Schill, the president of Northwestern, Block and Jonathan Holloway, the president of Rutgers.

The concessions that Northwestern and Rutgers agreed to were limited in scope. Like some other colleges that reached agreements with protesters, they focused on expanding institutional support for Muslim and Arab students and scholars on campus.

At Northwestern, the administration agreed to re-establish an advisory committee on its investments that includes student, faculty and staff input. The university also agreed to answer questions about financial holdings including those with ties to Israel.

Rutgers agreed to meet with five student representatives to discuss the divestment request in exchange for the disbanding of the encampment. The university also stated it would not terminate its relationship with Tel Aviv University.

Chief John Thomas confirmed the move late Tuesday in a text message to the Daily Bruin campus newspaper. “There’s been a lot going on and I learned late yesterday (Monday) that I’m temporarily reassigned from my duties as chief,” Thomas told the paper.

UCLA May 14

UCLA Student sues university over alleged tolerance of ‘campus terrorists'

Israel-Hamas War May 9

Protesters arrested at UCLA had metal pipes, bolt cutters and DIY occupation guide, police say

There was no immediate word on what position Thomas had been assigned to. He has been the campus police chief since January.

In a statement, UCLA Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications Mary Osako said Gawin Gibson has been named acting chief. “John Thomas has been reassigned temporarily, pending an examination of our security processes,” Osako said. “As we said on May 5, UCLA created a new Office of Campus Safety that is leading a thorough examination of our security processes aimed at enhancing the well-being and safety of our community.”

UCLA received national attention in early May when a group of largely masked counter-protesters launched a violent attack on the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus, leading to criticism of a slow police response to the
assault that left several people injured.

The next night, hundreds of law enforcement officers from various agencies descended on the campus and cleared the encampment, arresting 209 people.

The university was forced to close for a day, then temporarily shift to remote learning in the aftermath of the unrest. Days after the encampment clearing, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block announced that he had appointed Vice Chancellor Rick Braziel as the head of a newly created Office of Campus Safety, with oversight of the police department.

Block, who is set to retire at the end of July, is scheduled to testify before a congressional committee on Thursday about the university’s response to antisemitism on campus.

Meanwhile, the chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce sent a letter last week demanding that the UC system turn over all communications and documents relating to alleged campus antisemitism since Oct. 7, the date of the Hamas attack on Israel.

University of California President Michael Drake said the university system has begun an independent investigation of the UCLA response to the violence. The UC hired 21st Century Policing Solutions — a police-tactics consulting firm — to lead the university system’s probe of actions taken at UCLA.

Block, meanwhile, said Braziel was leading a high-tech investigation in an effort to identify the people who attacked the encampment the night before it was cleared.

The Federated University Police Officers Association, the union that represents UC police officers, has laid blame for failures in the response to campus unrest on university administrators.

Union president Wade Stern reiterated that point Wednesday in response to news of Thomas’s reassignment.

“The UCLA administration owns the failure of any protest response, and the public should reject their attempts to shift blame to law enforcement,” Stern said in a statement. “UC guidelines … require a trained senior administrator at UCLA to decide how to respond to protests, guided by an existing plan that had been rehearsed and scenario planned with both UCLA PD and outside law enforcement agencies.”

What unfolded at UCLA calls into question whether UCLA complied with the guidelines to have in place senior administrators trained in crowd control response, with written plans for response that were the product of scenario training and consultation with its police department and outside law enforcement agencies,” he said.

Meanwhile, unionized graduate students at UC campuses across the state have been threatening to conduct rolling strikes in response to the handling of pro-Palestinian protests. Workers have already been striking at UC Santa Cruz, and the union has suggested walkouts could occur at other campuses.

The union and the UC system have traded allegations of unfair labor practices. The union is demanding amnesty for employees and students who took part in protests and are facing disciplinary actions, along with guarantees of
free-speech protections and the right to political expression on campus.

The UC system said any strikes based on such demands would be illegal, since they are non-labor issues that fall outside the scope of the union’s labor agreement.

Liana Nitka’s Los Angeles Superior Court proposed class-action lawsuit alleges civil rights violations, negligence, assault battery and breach of contract. She seeks compensatory damages as well as court orders eliminating the creation and sponsoring of a “dangerous condition of public property” as well as preventing outside funding by antisemitic groups and organizations who require the university to “march to beat of an antisemitic drummer as opposed to the laws forbidding antisemitism and discrimination.”

UCLA Jewish student and faculty members “share the same common interest of wanting to be safe and free from campus terrorism and antisemitism and safe and free from other harm, including assault and battery,” the suit states.

A UC representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

According to the suit, the encampment of “campus terrorists” who set up tents on the grounds of UCLA intended to “create and sow division through acts of disruption, chaos and dissension” on campus.

The hoax of a peaceful protest was “enabled by and perpetrated under the university’s watchful eyes to such an extent that the Jewish students and faculty were so fearful for their lives and safety that they could not go into the university’s town square or anywhere else on campus without being verbally or physically assaulted by the campus terrorists,” according to the suit.

Hamas-leaning faculty members offered extra credit and better grades for those who took part in the “chaos and disruption caused by the campus terrorists,” all with the university’s knowledge and consent, the suit alleges.

Israel-Hamas War May 9

Protesters arrested at UCLA had metal pipes, bolt cutters and DIY occupation guide, police say

UCLA May 7

Facial recognition tech likely to be used to identify attackers at UCLA, ex-LAPD captain says

Nearly half of the protesters were “paid outside agitators” funded by wealthy Democratic donors, including the Soros Foundation, the complaint further alleges.

According to Nitka’s diary, a portion of which is included in the suit, during her Chicano studies class last fall her professor was “blatantly attacking Zionist identity during class, even though the course subject does not align with the topic of the Israel-Palestine conflict.”

In March, a large figure of a pig depicting Jews and Zionists was placed near the entrance of one of the engineering buildings, Nitka said.

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The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said as 21st Century Policing Solutions, which also has been hired by other universities for on-campus safety concerns, will try to find the responsible for the violence, the LAPD and FBI will possibly be support the investigation.

Among the strategies of locating the attackers, facial recognition technology will likely be used, according to a former LAPD official.

“You can take a photo of you right now, and I can take that clip and drop it onto google image. And it will probably tell me who you are,” retired captain Paul Vernon said.

The LA Times had also reported UCLA detectives are scanning hundreds of images as they work to identify the attackers.

If the FBI gets involved in the investigation, its investigators can obtain cellphone data to prove whether certain attackers were in the area on the night violence unfolded on the UCLA campus, according to Vernon.

But Vernon added that charging those responsible may be another challenge.

“Primarily you’re only going after those involved in a felony. That would be the ones related to the most serious injury,” Vernon said. “Now the question is: Can you tie that injury to that person? And among those people that you want to try to prosecute, how many of them have a defense of self-defense?”

There are also questions about why more than 40 people were detained in a UCLA parking garage Monday morning. They were mostly Pro-Palestinian protesters, but at least one journalist was detained too.

“I began filming, kept a respectful distance,” said Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, who is a writer and videographer.

Beckner-Carmitchel said early Monday he was shooting video of the group detained when officers detained him, too.

“They booked me, at all points refused to allow me to speak with anyone in charge in any meaningful way,” Beckner-Carmitchel said. “I repeated over and over and over again that I was a member of the press, that I was just documenting, utilizing first amendment activity and was at one point told that was not their problem right now.”

UCLA May 6

UCLA shifts classes to remote due to demonstrations on Westwood campus

UCLA May 5

UCLA announces new office of campus safety following unrest over pro-Palestinian demonstrations

When NBC4 crews responded to the scene Monday morning, a UCLA police Lieutenant said the people were detained for delaying a police investigation though they didn’t clarify what investigation was delayed.

Organizers said that the protesters involved were on their way to take part in a sit-in protest at Dodd and Moore Hall.

Beckner-Carmitchel said after several hours in a jail cell, police eventually apologized and told him they would not proceed with charges. He said he had nothing to do with the protest.

“I cover a lot of protests and things like that. I can’t stress enough I’ve never even seen these kids before,” said Beckner-Carmitchel, who is now considering his legal options.

UCLA leadership and police have not responded to NBC4’s repeated requests for an on-camera interview.

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The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

The school had came under heavy criticism for its response to violence that broke out at a protest encampment last week, with Gov. Gavin Newsom and other elected officials calling for investigations into the university’s reaction, and some critics even calling on Block to resign ahead of his previously announced plan to step down on July 31.

“In the past week, our campus has been shaken by events that have disturbed this sense of safety and strained trust within our community,” Block said in a message to the UCLA community Sunday. “In light of this, both UCLA and the UC Office of the President have committed to a thorough investigation of our security processes. But one thing is already clear: To best protect our community moving forward, urgent changes are needed in how we administer safety operations.

“I am therefore taking several actions to significantly alter our campus safety structure. … Effective immediately, I am moving oversight and management of UCLA PD and the Office of Emergency Management from the Office of the Administrative Vice Chancellor to a newly created Office of Campus Safety, whose leader reports directly to me. It is clear that UCLA needs a unit and leader whose sole responsibility is campus safety to guide us through tense times. This organizational structure, which elevates our safety and emergency management operations, has proven to be an effective one at other major universities across the country.”

Leading the new office as its inaugural associate vice chancellor will be Rick Braziel, who’ll bring more than 30 years of public safety service to the job, including five years as chief of police for the city of Sacramento. Braziel has also served as an instructor in community policing and has led reviews of law enforcement agencies and police responses.

Block is also creating a formal advisory group whose members include UC Davis Chief of Police and Coordinator of the Council of UC Chiefs of Police Joe Farrow, professor of psychology and of health policy and management Vickie Mays and UC Office of the President Systemwide Director of Community Safety Jody Stiger.

“I am confident that AVC Braziel, in partnership with this advisory group, will provide effective new leadership of our safety and emergency management operations,” Block said.

“I fully support this appointment and believe that it is an important step towards restoring confidence in our public safety systems and procedures,” UC President Michael Drake said in a statement Sunday.

“In the days ahead, I will be announcing details about the independent external review of what happened last week at UCLA. It is critical that the questions that I and many others have are answered by a respected and impartial investigator.”

“Finally, I urge the UC community and any visitors to our campuses to treat each other with dignity and respect, and to maintain a civil and safe environment for all — even when protesting contentious issues and in highly emotional situations. The University of California has a rich tradition of robust expression, one we want to preserve in a safe and respectful manner. When peaceful protests become magnets for violence or impede our community’s access to classes and their employment, it is imperative that we take the actions necessary to protect our communities and restore access.”

UCLA will resume regular campus operations Monday after classes were moved online Thursday and Friday due to the unrest.

“The campus will return to regular operations tomorrow, Monday 5/6, and plans to remain this way through the rest of the week,” UCLA announced. 

“Per updated Academic Senate guidance on instruction, faculty are encouraged to resume in-person instruction as soon as possible, but may continue to conduct courses remotely at their discretion through next Friday, May 10, without the need for departmental authorization. Students will hear from instructors directly.”

Police moved in and cleared the weeklong pro-Palestinian encampment early Thursday, arresting 209 people. Most of those arrested were booked on suspicion of unlawful assembly, then released from custody with instructions to appear in court at a later date.

No significant injuries to protesters or the hundreds of police officers who took part in the raid were reported.    

Disputes between protesters at the encampment peaked overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday, when the pro-Palestinian encampment was attacked by counter-protesters supporting Israel who set of fireworks and allegedly deployed pepper spray or bear repellent. The violence prompted a cancellation of all classed at UCLA on Wednesday.

“We approached the encampment with the goal of maximizing our community members’ ability to make their voices heard on an urgent global issue,” Block said in a statement Thursday afternoon. 

“We had allowed it to remain in place so long as it did not jeopardize Bruins’ safety or harm our ability to carry out our mission.

“But while many of the protesters at the encampment remained peaceful, ultimately, the site became a focal point for serious violence as well as a huge disruption to our campus. Several days of violent clashes between demonstrators and counter-demonstrators put too many Bruins in harm’s way and created an environment that was completely unsafe for learning.”

The clearing of the encampment, however, gave a broader picture of the amount of damage done to the campus. The front of Royce Hall and Powell Library suffered extensive graffiti damage, some of it profane. Piles of garbage were also left behind in the former encampment area.    

The school’s much-criticized response to the violence remained a point of contention this weekend. On Saturday, more than 20 UCLA faculty members and community activists rallied at the Hammer Museum to call for the resignation of Block, the Daily Bruin reported.

On May 23, Block is expected to testify before Congress about UCLA’s response to antisemitism on the campus and actions to protect Jewish students.    

Meanwhile, the union that represents campus police officers at the 10 University of California schools blamed UCLA administrators for the delayed response to Tuesday’s fights and other violence between counter-protesters and people at the pro-Palestinian encampment.

Federated University Police Officers’ Association said Saturday that the probe by UC President Michael Drake into the university’s “planning, actions and response by law enforcement” must consider the UC’s own guidelines for response to campus protests.

“The written guidelines for roles and responsibilities make clear that senior UC administrators on each campus are solely responsible for the University’s response to campus protests; those administrators decide the objective, and campus police are only responsible for tactics in implementing those objectives,” FUPOA President Wade Stern said.

“As such, the UCLA administration owns all the fallout from the response and lack of response to this protest.”

There was no response Saturday to emails sent to UCLA and Drake’s office seeking comment.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and other elected officials called for investigations into the university and police response. Observers said the Tuesday night attack was allowed to rage for several hours with little to no police intervention, until officers in riot gear finally moved in around 3 a.m. and restored order.

Organizers of the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment, similar to their counterparts at USC, have issued a list of demands calling for divestment of all University of California and UCLA Foundation funds from companies tied to Israel, along with a demand that the university call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and begin an academic boycott against Israeli universities, including a suspension of study-abroad programs.

The UC issued a statement in response noting that the university has “consistently opposed calls for boycott against and divestment from Israel. While the university affirms the right of our community members to express diverse viewpoints, a boycott of this sort impinges on the academic freedom of our students and faculty and the unfettered exchange of ideas on our campuses.“UC tuition and fees are the primary funding sources for the University’s core operations. None of these funds are used for investment purposes,” the statement continued.

Federated University Police Officer’s Association said Saturday that the upcoming probe by UC President Michael Drake into the university’s “planning, actions and response by law enforcement” must consider the UC’s own guidelines for response to campus protests.

“The written guidelines for roles and responsibilities make clear that senior UC administrators on each campus are solely responsible for the University’s response to campus protests; those administrators decide the objective, and campus police are only responsible for tactics in implementing those objectives,” FUPOA President Wade Stern said. “As such, the UCLA administration owns all the fallout from the response and lack of response to this protest.”

Police moved in and cleared a week-long pro-Palestinian encampment early Thursday, arresting 209 people. Most of those arrested were booked on suspicion of unlawful assembly, then released from custody with instructions to appear in court at a later date.

Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo Garcia said his office is committed to providing all arrestees with representation and support.

“At this time, we do not have information on what, if any, charges will be presented,” he said. “Nonetheless, it is essential that due process and the presumption of innocence are upheld. We will work diligently to protect the rights of our clients throughout.”

No significant injuries to protesters or the hundreds of police officers who took part in the raid were reported.

UCLA May 2

What will happen to protesters arrested at UCLA?

UCLA May 2

Timeline of police activity at UCLA to move out protesters

The raid came after the situation peaked overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday, when the pro-Palestinian encampment was attacked by counter- protesters supporting Israel who set of fireworks and allegedly deployed pepper spray or bear repellent. The violence prompted a cancellation of all classed at UCLA on Wednesday.

“We approached the encampment with the goal of maximizing our community members’ ability to make their voices heard on an urgent global issue,” UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “We had allowed it to remain in place so long as it did not jeopardize Bruins’ safety or harm our ability to carry out our mission.

“But while many of the protesters at the encampment remained peaceful, ultimately, the site became a focal point for serious violence as well as a huge disruption to our campus. Several days of violent clashes between demonstrators and counter-demonstrators put too many Bruins in harm’s way and created an environment that was completely unsafe for learning.”

Block said roughly 300 people who had been inside the campus left the area voluntarily before the mass arrests began.

The clearing of the encampment, however, gave a broader picture of the amount of damage done to the campus. The front of Royce Hall and Powell Library suffered extensive graffiti damage, some of it profane. Piles of garbage were also left behind in the former encampment area.

Cleanup crews moved into the area Thursday morning, and made relatively quick work of the garbage removal. The graffiti removal was likely to take much longer.

Campus security was also maintaining a presence on the campus, amid fears that protesters might return to the scene and try to re-establish the encampment.

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The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi confirmed a total of 210 people were arrested by the UCLA Police Department “for failure to disperse.” 

“Last night, the Los Angeles Police Department was part of the unified command convened at the request of the UCLA Police Department,” Choi said in a social media posting. “ I am thankful there were no serious injuries to officers or protestors.”

The LA County Public Defender’s Office said its officials met with at least 132 people arrested from the Westwood campus.

Those who were arrested by authorities were taken to three facilities, including the LAPD Metro Detention Center and Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail.

“It was chaotic and scary,” Isaac Shih, a UCLA student who spent several hours behind bars in the Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail, said. “[Officers] were unresponsive to the things we say, and they were trying to destroy everything we had – our tents and everything we had inside. They had no remorse or sympathy for us.”

UCLA May 2

UCLA Chancellor addresses community following clear out of protest encampment

UCLA May 2

Education Department asked to investigate whether students' civil rights were violated at UCLA

An official from the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s office said the group of arrestees appears to be a mix of students and faculty. 

“It’s essential that the process of law and presumption of innocence is upheld,” Haydeh Takasugi, an assistant public defender for the county, said. “We are working to ensure that the rights of our clients are protected throughout this process.”

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“Our community is in deep pain. We are reeling from days of violence and division. And we hope with all our hearts that we can return to a place where our students, faculty and staff feel safe and, one day, connected again,” wrote Block.

The chancellor said that Thursday’s operation was carried out with guidance from several important principles. “The need to support the safety and wellbeing of Bruins, the need to support the free expression rights of our community, and the need to minimize disruption to our teaching and learning mission,” wrote Block.

Block pointed to the “several days of violent clashes,” between protesters and counter-protesters that put other students in harm’s way and created an unsafe environment.

The chancellor added that the university will continue to investigate the violent incidents, “especially Tuesday night’s horrific attack by a mob of instigators,” where chemical sprays and firecrackers were seen being hurled towards the encampment.

“In the end, the encampment on Royce Quad was both unlawful and a breach of policy. It led to unsafe conditions on our campus and it damaged our ability to carry out our mission. It needed to come to an end,” wrote Block.

According to LAPD Police Chief, Dominic Choi, a total of 210 arrests were made by the UCLA Police Department for Failure to Disperse.

The clearing of the encampment in front of Royce Hall revealed trash, medical supplies and other items left behind in the area. Graffiti and signs appeared on the exterior walls of the building.

It was not immediately clear when charges will be filed.

“Our immediate concern is ensuring the fair treatment of all individuals involved in the recent events at UCLA,” said LA County Public Defender, Ricardo D. García. “We are closely monitoring the situation and have deployed our Rapid Response Team to provide on-the-ground support to arrestees.

“We are committed to providing legal representation and support to those who have been arrested or may face legal proceedings. At this time, we do not have information on what, if any, charges will be presented. Nonetheless, it is essential that due process and the presumption of innocence are upheld. We will work diligently to protect the rights of our clients throughout.”

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Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democrat, sought an “immediate” probe to examine whether Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was violated at UCLA, especially when it comes to protecting Jewish students from physical and verbal violence. 

“I am alarmed and extraordinarily disappointed that the University allowed the situation to deteriorate with seemingly little regard for Jewish and Israeli-American students’ personal safety and their civil rights as enrolled students,” Zbur said in a statement.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is supposed to prevent all people in the U.S. from being discriminated against based on their race, color or national origin.

Zbur noted evidence of potential free speech violations, including the case of a Jewish student who was refused access to the main entrance of Powell Library because he identified himself as a Zionist. 

Eli Tsives, a UCLA freshman who was filmed while being blocked from accessing his classroom Monday, said he was “scared of what’s happening” on campus. 

“I deserve to go here. I pay tuition. This is our school,” Tsives was heard in the video clip as he was blocked by a group of people who appear to be pro-Palestinian protesters.

In another incident, a protester was seen on camera attacking a pro-Israeli demonstrator, appearing to activate her taser before being escorted away by security. 

“Freedom of speech and freedom to peacefully protest are fundamental pillars of our democracy — but violence, harassment, and intimidation are not speech and have no place on campus or anywhere,” Zbur said in the letter. “I urge the U.S. Department of Education and the UC Regents to conduct investigations into the University’s failure and hold those responsible accountable. This can never be allowed to happen again.

UCLA May 2

Images: Officers clear protest encampment at UCLA

UCLA May 1

Hundreds arrested as officers clear out protest encampment on UCLA campus

The Assemblymember also urged the UC Board of Regents to initiate an independent investigation into UCLA’s “failure to provide adequate security to protect students’ safety, including the delayed law enforcement response to a violent attack.”

A violent clash unfolded when pro-Israeli protesters showed up to the pro-Palestinian encampment, attempting to knock down the barrier made up of guardrails and plywood Tuesday night.

UC President Michael V. Drake had said he was ordering an independent review of the university’s actions and the response by law enforcement.

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The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

“The limited and delayed campus law enforcement response at UCLA last night was unacceptable – and it demands answers,” a spokesperson from the Governor’s Office said Wednesday. “As soon as it became clear that the state assistance was needed to support a local response, our office immediately deployed CHP personnel to campus,” the statement added.

Newsom also released a separate statement, condemning violence at UCLA Tuesday night.

Wednesday’s statement was Newsom’s first public reaction to the growing campus protests since the signs of violence and unrest were initially shown at the USC campus a week prior.

When the chaotic melee started at UCLA among protesters and counter protesters at around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, law enforcement officials did not appear to be present at UCLA’s Royce Quad.

“Where is the security? We don’t see them here,” NBC Los Angeles’ Robert Kovacik said during his live report Tuesday as a number of fights were breaking out before his eyes. 

Felicia Ford, a concerned resident of Los Angeles, said some of the people involved in the brawls appeared to be armed.

“They were using bars, bats,” Felicia Ford described. “Some people had knives. Some people had weapons.”

Ford also said when she called the LAPD to request police response to UCLA at around midnight, she was told that LAPD officers could not be dispatched because they “had not been called by campus police.”

The LAPD and LA County Sheriff’s Department did not confirm with NBC Los Angeles when their officials were dispatched to the campus. The CHP said its officers were sent to UCLA by 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. 

Newsom added the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has been providing law enforcement support statewide, including “responding for assistance at UCLA throughout the night and early morning.”

UCLA May 1

UCLA cancels all classes after violent overnight melee on campus

UCLA May 1

Pepper spray and firecrackers thrown during protester clash at UCLA

Mayor Karen Bass, who was in Washington D.C. to lobby the Biden Administration and members of Congress to expand veteran eligibility for housing vouchers, was said to be cutting her trip short to return to Los Angeles and respond to the escalating campus violence.

“The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable. LAPD has arrived on campus,” Bass said in a statement released Wednesday

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Powell Library and Royce Hall would also remain closed Wednesday as well, according to the advisory.

“The hospital and health system, the Luskin Conference Center and PreK-12 schools remain open,” said the university, which also urged people to avoid the Royce Quad area.

The update from the school came as multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the campus Wednesday morning, hours after violence fights broke out between pro-Palestinian protesters and counter demonstrators.

Officials in the uniforms of the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Monica Police Department and the California Highway Patrol were seen at Royce Quad in the middle of the campus by Wednesday morning.

Felicia Ford, a concerned parent without any affiliation to both sides of the protest, said she witnessed protesters “settled down” as soon as police responded. 

“I’m happy that [police] are here. The manpower that came first was the Highway Patrol and the LAPD,” Ford said. “There were hundreds of them here in force. They did not arrest one person – not one.”

UCLA Apr 30

Colleges in Crisis: USC finds swastikas on campus as UCLA limits building access

Israel-Hamas War Apr 30

Newsom, state leaders stay mum about pro-Palestinian protest at UCLA

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The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

Swastika on USC campus

USC confirmed antisemitic symbols were found on the USC campus Tuesday, prompting school officials to investigate the incident.

“I condemn any antisemitic symbols or other forms of hate speech as deplorable,” USC President Carol Folt said in a social media post. “Clearly it was drawn there right now just to incite even more anger at a time that is so painful for our community.”

Barricades removed at UCLA

UCLA officials promised Tuesday increased security and disciplinary action against students who are engaging in disruptive conduct.

Chancellor Gene D. Block said in addition to adding more law enforcement officers on campus, the barriers that protesters used to block access to buildings were removed.

“We have seen instances of violence completely at odds with our values as an institution dedicated to respect and mutual understanding,” Block confirmed in a statement. “In other cases, students on their way to class have been physically blocked from accessing parts of the campus.”

He also confirmed that the “student conduct process” was initiated, which could lead to disciplinary action including suspension and expulsion for certain students.

Blocking access to UCLA buildings

UCLA officials alerted students Tuesday that access to Royce Hall and Powell Library at the center of the campus would be limited through Friday.

“Alternate locations are being identified as options for classes taking place in Royce,” the university said in the alert message. 

Instructors whose classrooms are located at Royce were expected to inform their students about the new – temporary – class locations.

Powell library, which typically opens 24 hours to give students quiet spaces to study, was set to close at 5 p.m. Tuesday until reopening next Monday. The university said other library spaces may operate normally, and alternative study spaces may become available.

USC Apr 29

Student's mother tries to stop vandalism at USC

UCLA Apr 28

USC, UCLA students navigate end of the year protests

Tickets required for USC commencement

USC activated a new ticket reservation system Tuesday ahead of the 2024 commencement events. 

As the university canceled the “main stage” ceremony amid the ongoing campus protest, it had informed students and faculty that free tickets would be required to gain access to campus and over 100 commencement venues. 

Graduating students are now able to download, accept and transfer tickets to commencement events. While each graduating student is given eight, free tickets, an appeal process is available for students in need of more than eight tickets. 

The school also reminded students that a clear bag policy will be enforced during the commencement events from May 8 through 11. 

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NBC4 video shows images of the confrontation that took place around 11:40 p.m. in front of the encampment barricade on Dickson Plaza near Powell Library and Kaplan Hall.

The fight between members of both sides prompted UCLA Police Department officers to separate counter-protesters.

UCLA Apr 28

Photos: Pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian demonstrators clash at UCLA

UCLA Apr 28

Fights break out at dueling pro-Palestinian, pro-Israel protests at UCLA

The new video also shows vandalism and “Free Gaza” spray-painted on the doors of Royce Hall.

There were no reports of injuries or arrests.

“We remain committed to supporting the safety and wellbeing of Bruins, supporting the free expression rights of our community, and minimizing disruption to our teaching and learning mission,” the UCLA website posted.  “Events and activities are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis and we are working to maintain our regular campus life as much as possible.”

UCLA said security measures have been increased to secure the safety of its team members on site.

Access to Royce Quad will be limited according to the website.

“We will continue to ensure people on campus know about the demonstration so they can avoid the area if they wish.” the website posted.

The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

The demonstrators gathered in Dickson Court North on Monday for what was billed as a “teach-in on divestment,” where they used unauthorized structures and assembled in areas not designated for public expression.    

The demonstrators arrived around 8:45 a.m. Monday, where they obstructed student pathways, according to the UCLA Police Department.    

According to the Daily Bruin, the school’s newspaper, the protest began around 11:45 a.m., when protesters chanted, “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid.”

What protesters billed as a “Gaza solidarity sukkah” and several tents for a pro-Palestinian encampment were erected, prompting a representative from UCLA Student Affairs to inform organizers that they were violating the university’s “Time, Place, and Manner” policies because of where they were assembling, using unauthorized structures and amplified sound, and asked demonstrators to leave the area and remove the structures, according to the Daily Bruin and UCLA Police Department.

Security officers on bicycles attempted to remove a sign hung outside of Perloff Hall around 5:09 p.m., which read, “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” agitating protesters who pushed and shoved the officers.

The UCLA Police Department issued a dispersal order shortly after 8:30 p.m. The majority of the demonstrators had left, with several remaining in the area at 9 p.m. One person was taken into custody for failing to disperse.    

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot, which ends at sundown Wednesday.

Hours prior to the establishment of the encampment in Westwood, its hometown rival USC had already faced a large group of demonstrators, some of whom were arrested after refusing to follow the LAPD’s order to disperse. 

Participants erected a makeshift wooden fence alongside the encampment and displayed signs with slogans such as “UCLA Says Free Palestine,” “Blood on the UC Hands” and “When people are occupied, resistance is justified.”

Organizers of the “Palestine Solidarity Encampment,” similar to their counterparts at USC, issued a list of demands that include divestment of all University of California and UCLA Foundation funds from companies tied to Israel, along with a university call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and an academic boycott by UC against Israeli universities, including a suspension of study-abroad programs.

“For 201 days, Israel has murdered, injured, starved, disappeared, displaced and kidnapped Palestinians with impunity,” according to a message posted online by organizers of the UCLA encampment, including the UC Divest Coalition at UCLA, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace UCLA.

UCLA joined a growing number of universities where demonstrators camped out, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. 

“It’s concerning, not just as an educator or journalist, but as a human being and being told if we say anything about it, it’s wrong,” a UCLA graduate student named Candace said. “We can’t watch a genocide and be complicit about it.”

One professor at the university said Thursday’s demonstration served as a learning opportunity.

“These kids are learning all kinds of things today — organize how to talk to each other and disagree with each other, which is what the path of education is all about,” said Nancy Mithlo, a Professor of Gender Studies.

Opponents of the movement also made their voices clear. In response to the demonstration, pro-Israeli protesters formed outside of the encampment. One alumnus said there were other ways the protesters could have gotten their messages across.

“This is absolutely ridiculous,” said Shervin Natan, an alumni. “Students are here to go to school and obstructing students from going to class and this type of protest or encampments at the university is not a win.

In response to Thursday’s activities, UCLA issued the following statement:

“Our top priority is always the safety and wellbeing of our entire Bruin community. We’re actively monitoring this situation to support a peaceful campus environment that respects our community’s right to free expression while minimizing disruption to our teaching and learning mission.”

This is a developing story. 

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Somewhere between the holiday season, when mince pies and meat pies decadently reign, and the scorching celebrations of summertime, the time of lighter and luscious fruit pies, there is April.

With that tentative introduction you might, at first glance, believe that April is a month that is mostly pie-less, at least compared to the pie-saturated stretches that come before and after.

But we must politely “au contraire” you right there, for a prominent pie party will take place in the fourth month, proving that springtime is high time for pie and some truly creative pies at that.

It’s the KCRW Good Food PieFest & Contest, a luscious long-running lark that is very pie-minded. (Yes, we’ve already used “luscious” twice and we may use it a third time if it feels right.)

The popular event, which finds local bakers putting their best pies forward as fans try out the bounty of desserts, forkful by forkful, is returning on April 28.

The place? Pie-making people and pie-eating people will want to gather at UCLA’s Royce Quad.

But the next place we need to think about, before we consider where the actual festival will occur, is your kitchen, specifically your oven.

For while the pie-eating people don’t need to get a giddy-up letting the PieFest organizers know they’ll be there, the pie makers do. If you want to enter a pie, the fee is $15.

Registration will close well ahead of the event, on April 21, if all the spots don’t fill up, which they likely will.

We can’t tell a pie, er, lie: This is a popular event, on both sides of the pie display table.

Before you get experimenting, dreaming, and baking, however, consider the 2024 categories: Savory and cream pies are among those goodies that are off the list — repeat, you’ll want to skip making these — but the line-up of good-to-go confections is lengthy, with hand pies, apple crumble, and Lineage Pies, which celebrate the baker’s heritage, on the roster.

Knowing the permitted ingredients is also important, too.

If your whole pie-in-the-sky plan is to show up at the Royce Quad on the final Sunday in April and taste, taste, taste away, keep in mind that a tasting ticket will be required, all to make sure “there are enough slices to go around.”

You can RSVP now for “early access” to the tasting tickets; both bakers and pie-ficionados, which are like aficionados but for pie, should read everything about entering, tasting tickets, and the PieFest details on this site.

The sophomore point guard ended up delivering in the most pressure-packed time of the season.

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Rice scored 13 of her 24 points in the third quarter as second-seeded UCLA rallied for a 67-63 victory over seventh-seeded Creighton in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night.

“At this point of the season, it’s one game and you’re out,” Rice said. “I just knew that I needed to do whatever I had to do to help my team win, whether that was feeding the ball to Lauren (Betts), scoring, doing whatever, and I think I was just focused on that.”

Lauren Betts added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Bruins (27-6), who trailed by 10 points early in the third quarter before coming back and advancing to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season.

UCLA will face third-seeded LSU in an Albany 2 Regional semifinal Saturday afternoon. Top-seeded Iowa and fifth-seeded Colorado are in the other semi.

UCLA struggled with Creighton’s off ball screens and transition game during the first half, as the Bluejays were able to get many easy baskets.

Creighton was 13 of 22 from the field in the first half but only 9 of 28 in the third and fourth quarters as the Bruins turned up the defensive pressure.

“At halftime, I really laid into them about the choices. We don’t give up that many points in a half to anybody. So we needed to just get back to doing things with our defense. I knew if we could get enough stops we would score enough points,” UCLA coach Cori Close said.

Betts, back in the lineup after missing Saturday’s game against California Baptist due to a foot injury, had 14 points in the first half before Creighton put multiple defenders on her. That allowed plenty of room for Rice to drive into the lane and score.

Lauren Jensen scored 20 points and Morgan Maly added 18 for the Bluejays (26-6).

Creighton came in averaging 8.8 3-pointers per game, but were 7 of 16 from beyond the arc. It made 16 3s in Saturday night’s win over UNLV.

“I thought they really defended on a different level in that second half and we couldn’t really get much going, in particular in the fourth quarter, and probably thought we got a little tired,” coach Jim Flanery said. “I thought Cori probably did a better job of using her bench and keeping people fresh.”

Creighton led 44-34 early in the second half before UCLA fought back. The Bruins got back into the game with a 20-7 run that included 11 points by Rice.

The game was tied at 56-all after three quarters before the Bruins scored seven straight to start the fourth as part of a 9-2 run.

Creighton led 20-19 at the end of the first quarter and then dominated the second quarter. The Bluejays scored the first eight points in the period and were 10 of 16 from the field as it went into halftime with a 42-34 lead. Emma Ronsiek led Creighton with 11 of her 14 points coming in the quarter.

“Credit to UCLA. They made life difficult for us especially in the second half. Disrupting our offense, making it hard for us to catch and even when we did get a shot off it was contested. So they definitely ramped it up on the defensive end,” Jensen said.

Abdul-Jabbar used a cane to approach the lectern outside Pauley Pavilion on a sun-splashed day. He had hip replacement surgery just before Christmas after he fell at a concert. The 76-year-old was known as Lew Alcindor during his college days when he was a three-time national player of the year.

“There’s only one thing I can say and that’s, ‘Thank you, coach.’ You gave it to us on both ends, you made us champs and you made us understand life,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “I don’t think any coach can do better than that.”

The stamp shows Wooden with an intense look on his face and two players in the background wearing jerseys with the numbers 4 and 10. Four represents the number of undefeated seasons under Wooden and 10 is the record number of national championships his teams won in Westwood.

“I feel his ultimate impact will be as the ultimate teacher,” said Wilkes, who wore a turquoise bolo tie gifted to him by Wooden. “He gave us a gift, a process where we could each live our best lives.”

People lined up to purchase some of the 18 million Wooden stamps that have been printed and receive a first-day cancellation featuring the zip code assigned to the UCLA campus.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block called Wooden “the university’s most legendary and beloved figure” and noted that Wooden’s famed Pyramid of Success has appeared on the hit TV show “Ted Lasso.”

“The USPS forever stamp can be used as postage in perpetuity, never to expire,” Block said, “and that’s quite appropriate for a man whose eternal, timeless wisdom will continue to shape our lives and others for centuries to come.”

Christy Impelman, Wooden’s oldest grandchild, told the crowd that the man known as Papa to his family personally replied to thousands of letters and autograph requests during his lifetime without help from an assistant.

“He would sign or write and seal the items in an envelope and put a stamp on them. In his 99 years, he used a lot of U.S. postage stamps,” she said, drawing laughter. “This honor today is a true reflection of the way he lived his entire life. Our family is so thankful for the USPS, for UCLA. It’s great to keep his name out there and relevant to younger generations to come.”

Former UCLA gymnastics coach Valerie Kondos Field wore a long gray cardigan that she said was a gift from Wooden. The two were close and Wooden regularly attended her teams’ meets, as well as men’s and women’s basketball games, until the final year of his life.

“The handwritten notes that my husband and I received from coach Wooden, that he wrote in his beautiful handwriting, and he put in an envelope and he mailed through the United States Postal Service with a stamp, makes this absolutely, not just appropriate, but brilliant,” she said.

Wooden had a post office in the Reseda section of the San Fernando Valley near his home named for him in 2006.

The Indiana native is the second college basketball coach to be honored with a U.S. stamp. The first was James Naismith, who invented the game.

Foster, a member of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame, has been part of the Bruins’ coaching staff for 10 years, including the past seven as the team’s running back coach. He also served as associate head coach in 2023.

“This is a dream come true,” Foster said. “I always envisioned being a Bruin ever since I was young, and now being the head coach at my alma mater is such a surreal feeling, and I’m grateful for this opportunity. The foundation of this program will be built on discipline, respect and enthusiasm. These are phenomenal young men, and I’m excited to hit the ground running.”

The announcement comes following the departure of Chip Kelly, who stepped down Friday after six seasons leading the Bruins, leaving the school with a vacancy at the top just as programs are starting to gear up for spring practices.

Foster, one of the school’s most decorated running backs, ranks second in touchdowns scored (44), third in rushing yards (3,194) and fifth in scoring (266 points). Foster graduated from UCLA in 2014 and was enshrined in the school’s athletic hall of fame in October 2022.

He went on the play for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers from 2002 to 2007 and San Francisco 49ers in 2008.

Foster played at Tustin High School.

Foster’s return comes two months before the Bruins begin spring practice as they prepare to join the Big Ten. It could also help mitigate a large exodus of the roster since players have a 30-day period to enter the transfer portal after a coaching change.

UCLA’s running game was one of the strengths during Kelly’s six seasons in charge. The Bruins led the Pac-12 in rushing the past two years and have been in the top 20 nationally three straight seasons.

Foster coached running backs that were selected in the NFL draft four straight years — Zach Charbonnet (Seattle, 2023), Brittain Brown (Las Vegas, 2022), Felton (Cleveland, 2021) and Kelley (Los Angeles Chargers, 2020).

Foster was also the Bruins running back the last time they won the Pac-12 and went to the Rose Bowl in 1998.

Kelly had a 35-34 record with the Bruins, but the program was showing signs of stagnating ahead of its move to the Big Ten. UCLA was expected to contend for a Pac-12 title in 2023, but was 8-5, including losses in three of their last four regular-season games.

Kelly expressed interest in NFL offensive coordinator jobs as well as the opening at Boston College before heading to Ohio State. Kelly also talked to Oregon about a possible return two years ago.

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“Earlier this morning, Coach Chip Kelly informed me of his decision to depart UCLA,” Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond said. “I want to sincerely thank Chip for his service to UCLA football and our student-athletes across the past six seasons and wish the best to him and Jill moving forward.”

Multiple media outlets reported that Kelly was heading to Ohio State to become offensive coordinator. The Buckeyes declined comment.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day hired former Texans coach Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator last month, but O’Brien is now heading to Boston College to become the Eagles head coach.

Kelly had a 35-34 record in with the Bruins, but the program was showing signs of stagnating ahead of a move to the Big Ten from the Pac-12 next season. There was speculation late in the 2023 season UCLA might move on from Kelly, but the school stood pat after an 8-5 season.

Instead, it was Kelly who started looking for other options. He interviewed for multiple NFL offensive coordinator positions and then Ohio State emerged as a potential landing spot. Day played quarterback for Kelly when he was offensive coordinator at New Hampshire.

Kelly signed a two-year extension in March that kept him under contract through 2027. He made $6.1 million this past season. He would have been due $8.5 million as part of the buyout of his contract had UCLA fired him.

Kelly is one of the godfathers of the up-tempo, spread offense that dominated college football in the early 2010s. He became Oregon’s coach in 2009 and went 46-7 over four years before jumping to the NFL. He went 26-21 a little less than three full seasons (2013-15) as the Philadelphia Eagles coach and then spent one season as coach of the San Francisco 49ers, going 2-14.

Kelly took over at UCLA after Jim Mora Jr. was fired in 2017 and had a roster predominantly filled with underclassmen his first two seasons.

It was a slow build with the Bruins. Kelly started with three straight losing seasons before finally turning it around in 2021 and going 8-4. UCLA went 25-13 over the past three seasons, but could never crack nine wins and tended to fade late in the season

They were expected to contend for a spot in the Pac-12 championship game last season, especially since they didn’t have to face Washington and Oregon. Under coordinator D’Anton Lynn, UCLA put together one of the best defensive seasons in school history as it led the nation in stopping the run. But Lynn was in Westwood for only one season before jumping to rival USC.

The offense, which was the Bruins’ strength the past two seasons, struggled in 2023 due to inconsistency at quarterback. The most promising passer on the roster, five-star recruit Dante Moore, ended up transferring after the season.

The transfer portal will open again for UCLA players for 30 days following Kelly’s departure but with the timing of the opening both the school and the players could be faced with limited options for moving forward.

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The limited edition stamp, featuring an original portrait of Wooden, will go on sale early in 2024 and is expected to be available for about a year. A total of 18 million will be printed, according to UPS.

“This stamp is a tribute to Coach Wooden’s remarkable and widespread impact, which extends far beyond UCLA and far beyond basketball,” UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement. “His success on the court was unparalleled, and he remains a model of integrity and excellence in athletics. But the values he stood for and the timeless wisdom he shared have spread even further, influencing generations of leaders from all walks of life.”

The new stamp depicts Wooden at courtside in the early 1970s, intensely focused on a game and wearing a pinstripe suit, patterned tie and black-framed glasses.

In the stamp’s background, one player attempts a jump shot as another tries to block it, their jersey numbers, 4 and 10, signify the Bruins’ four undefeated seasons under Wooden — in 1964, 1967, 1972 and 1973 — and the 10 NCAA championships, including the seven in a row his teams won over the 12-season span of 1964 to 1975.

Neither accomplishment has ever been bested, and the Bruins’ 88-game winning streak between 1971 and 1974 remains the longest in the history of college basketball.

In 2003, Wooden was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Wooden, who in 2006 had a post office in Reseda named for him, is the second college basketball coach to be honored with a postage stamp, the first being James Naismith, the game’s inventor, who received a stamp in 1961.

Wooden passed away in 2010 at the age of 99. 

The Basic Needs Redistribution Center, located in the basement of UCLA’s Student Activities Center in Room B54, is a place where students can pick up basic necessities free of charge. Students behind the cause say that the need for it is greater than ever. 

The center offers clothing, shoes, school supplies, toiletries and more — all donated by students to help their peers in need. 

“It shouldn’t be on students to provide the most essential needs to be successful at college,” Basic Needs Redistribution Center founder and former UCLA Student Body President Robert Watson said. 

Watson established the Basic Needs Redistribution Center in 2018, which began as a series of colorful bins throughout campus. 

UCLA’s administration eventually provided the space necessary for the center and its students voted to raise their own student fees to keep it in operation in 2020, which provides the center with tens of thousands of dollars in funds annually, according to the Daily Bruin. 

“It’s always jam-packed, you see a ton of students come by with their containers, ready to get some shampoo conditioner or just anything really that they need,” UCLA Student Body President Naomi Hammonds said. 

Organizers say the high cost of tuition and living in Los Angeles continue to take its toll on students. Volunteer Natalie Liu spoke of a recent unhoused student who stopped by the center in need of shoes, among other things, but did not want to take too much. 

“He could have taken all these free supplies, but he said, ‘No, I’m going to be grateful for the things I can take,’” Liu said. “And he was really sweet, and I’m really sad I didn’t get to give him his pair of shoes, though.”

Daily struggles such as these are why student leaders are pleading with UC and state legislatures to provide more help to students to prevent them from falling through the cracks. 

“There will always be a group of students that struggle to have their needs met and a place like this should exist on every campus,” Watson said. 

The organizers say both students and the general public can donate to the center. Donations of lightly used clothing are encouraged, especially dress clothing that students can use for job interviews. 

Suddenly basking in the warmth of a beautiful voice can truly bewitch us, and a duet of two talented performers only brings delight.

How, though, does it feel to sit inside an august cultural venue, one with atmosphere to spare, as 180 vivacious voices weave together while summoning the sweet and mysterious spirit of the season?

Discover this sensation on Saturday, Dec. 2, or Sunday, Dec. 3, as the Angel City Chorale returns to UCLA Royce Hall for a homecoming.

Not just any homecoming, but a “Holiday Homecoming,” which will spotlight all sorts of blissful ballads, moving but merry tunes, and classic carols. It’s a powerhouse program, packed with people-pleasing gems and new-to-the-chorale selections, that will pay homage to the famous chorale’s 30th anniversary.

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Judah and His Maccabees” are on the roster, as is “Arbolito de Navidad.”

As with past chorale presentations, audience members can expect a lively trip around the globe and across the centuries, with song-sweet stops at several places and eras.

“We have an amazing show this year that will give you goosebumps and maybe even bring a tear or two!” said Sue Fink, Artistic Director.

“Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, ACC is your home for the holidays — just like it’s been my home for the past 30 years.”

“Like we always say, ‘It’s Not the Holidays til the Angels Sing.'”

Tickets start at $19; the evening show is set for Dec. 2 while Dec. 3 is the day for the matinee.

It will be the 93rd meeting in the rivalry, with USC holding a 50-33 lead. There have been seven ties, and USC’s victories in 2004 and 2005 were vacated as part of the penalties issued by the NCAA for improper benefits accepted by star running back Reggie Bush and his family.

It’s been a disappointing season for both teams. The Trojans entered the season with playoff hopes driven by the return of Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams at quarterback, but USC has lost four of its last five games and will bring a 7-4 record into Saturday’s game.

UCLA started the season 3-0 but has struggled a bit since then and is 6-4, with another game scheduled Nov. 25 against Cal.

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