Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied USC’s Alumni Park on Wednesday, demanding the university divest from organizations that “profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine."
Several dozen students camped out in the park in the early morning, setting up tents and other equipment on the lawn. Organizers with the USC Divest from Death Coalition issued a statement saying the action is "in solidarity with the people of Palestine as they resist genocide and continue in their struggle for liberation."
The protesters’ demands included a complete academic boycott of Israel, including an end to study abroad programs and cutting ties with Israeli universities; protection of free speech for students voicing support for Palestine; and demanding the university issue a public statement “calling for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
A little before noon, campus public safety officers moved in to clear out the tents. An officer told KNX News’ Margaret Carrero they were “removing prohibited items.”
Tensions escalated as a young man was detained and placed in a Campus Department of Public Safety vehicle. Protesters surrounded the vehicle, chanting “Let him go.” The young man was eventually released, and there were no reports of any arrests.
“The kind of energy that these students have shown in putting this together is really inspiring, and it's inspiring for a variety of reasons,” retired USC professor Laurie Brand said. “It shows that they're involved, they're concerned with what's happening in the world and particularly with the ongoing genocide in Gaza.“
“It gives me hope that there are students who are not just learning things in the classroom, but they're also making connections between what they learn in the classroom and what's happening in the world around them,” she added.
Alumni Park is scheduled to be the site of USC’s speakerless commencement ceremony on May 10. The university recently sparked controversy by barring valedictorian Asna Tabassum from speaking, citing complaints about her pro-Palestinian social media posts.
Hundreds of students protested in Tabassum’s support last week. The Council on American-Islamic Relations-Los Angeles said a petition calling for USC to reverse its decision received 38,000 signatures within 48 hours.
"The dishonest and defamatory attacks on Asna are nothing more than thinly veiled manifestations of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism, which have been weaponized against college students across the country who speak up for human rights – and for Palestinian humanity,” CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said in a statement.
USC is just one of many college campuses that have recently been gripped by protests in solidarity with Gaza, where more than 34,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7. More than 100 demonstrators were arrested at Columbia University last week, including the daughter of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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