University of California President Michael V. Drake has directed the 10-campus system to enforce stricter protest regulations ahead of students' return to campus this week, including bans on blocking walkways, setting up protest encampments, and using masks to conceal identities.
The new measures aim to prevent disruptions like those seen during last spring's protests against the Israel-Gaza war.
"Freedom to express diverse viewpoints is fundamental to the mission of the University, and lawful protests play a pivotal role in that process," Drake said in a Monday statement. "While the vast majority of protests held on our campuses are peaceful and nonviolent, some of the activities we saw this past year were not."
As Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza continues, pro-Palestine protests and encampments have emerged on college campuses across the country. Faculty and students - including dozens from the UC system - have been arrested for participating in the gatherings and some institutions canceled graduation ceremonies in response.
UCLA's demonstrations garnered particular scrutiny after Jewish students filed a lawsuit against the university for discrimination. Between April and May, activists constructed a so-called "Jew Exclusion Zone," the suit claimed, preventing Jewish students from accessing campus resources like classrooms and the library.
In July, the school was ordered by the courts to create a plan to support its Jewish students by August. Several weeks later, a federal judge ruled that the university cannot allow Jewish students to be blocked from accessing campus buildings, programs and services, regardless of who initiated the exclusion.
Drake seemingly addressed this new ruling in a Monday directive to system and school officials, which asked that each campus provide a document of policies surrounding demonstrations before the start of the fall semester. The policies must "clarify that no person shall restrict the movement of another person or persons by, among other means, blocking or obstructing their ingress or egress of roadways, walkways, buildings, parking structures, fire lanes, windows, doors or other passageways to university property, or otherwise denying a person access to a University facility or space," the letter read.
The policies must also include bans on erecting structures and wearing masks to disguise one's identity.
"Our ultimate goal is for all of our community members to feel supported in their ability to express themselves, and to pursue their studies, research, patient care, and other work on our campuses," Drake said.
