The police cleared the protest encampment at the University of Southern California (USC), as announced by the school on Sunday.
USC, like many other universities nationwide, has been in the spotlight recently due to pro-Palestinian demonstrations. On Sunday, USC President Carol Folt stated that the school’s Department of Public Safety and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) removed the people who had illegally set up camp in Alumni Park.
Folt wrote that the occupiers repeatedly ignored university rules and broke the law, which led to the need to take action quickly to protect the rights of the 80,000 students, staff, and faculty during the crucial time of quiet study week, finals, and commencement ceremonies.
Folt also mentioned that she asked the LAPD to help the public safety department in peacefully and safely clearing the encampment. She stated that the order to disperse was given at around 4:10 a.m. local time, and within about 64 minutes, the encampment was cleared.
LAPD confirmed its assistance in removing the encampment, stating on the social media platform X that there were “no arrests, no use of force, and no injuries to officers or protestors” during the operation. Folt emphasized the need for the school to take a stand when protests turn into illegal occupations, stating that the recent occupation had taken a dangerous turn, involving harassment, defacement of the school’s symbols, and theft of school property.
were arrested
Dozens late last month during the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on USC’s campus. USC also announced last month that it had cancelled its main commencement ceremony due to new safety measures amid the ongoing protests. The cancellation came after the school said valedictorian Asna Tabassum could not give a speech
due to “safety concerns” after some of her posts on social media drew outcry. The protest encampment on the University of Southern California’s (USC) campus has been cleared by police, the school announced Sunday. USC was one of the many universities across the country that had garnered national attention in recent weeks over the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on its campus. In an announcement on Sunday, USC President Carol Folt said…
