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Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA last spring — including the camps that were attacked — are suing universities and law enforcement agencies, claiming that they were illegally arrested, civil rights have been violated, suffered from injuries and are not protected while exercising their freedom of speech.
The complaint was filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court and appointed UCLA, UCLA Police, the University of California, the Los Angeles Police Department and the California Highway Patrol as defendants. 35 people associated with multiple spring protests at UCLA – students, faculty, journalists, legal observers and protesters not involved in UCLA – are plaintiffs.
The lawsuit also alleges that they named 20 individuals defendants and joined a vigilante group that violently raided the field for an hour from April 30th. With the majority of attackers not arrested, complaints use media reports, social media posts and videos to identify suspect perpetrators.
The lawsuit asks judges to declare the arrest of protesters illegal and to direct the university that it cannot declare an illegal “simply doubt about the suspicion” of the protest. UCLA claims it complied with the law when closing the protest.
The lawsuit also seeks unspecified monetary damages, up from $25,000, depending on the alleged legal violations against each plaintiff.
“The events at UCLA highlight the systemic anti-Palestinian bias and the failure of the administration that does not support its obligation to protect the rights of students and teachers to engage in peaceful protest and expression,” the lawsuit argued. “This action aims to hold UCLA accountable for its inability to address and prevent Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination. A breach of civil rights for all Palestinian protesters – a group of a wide range of people, including Jews,” the lawsuit states.
UC spokesman Stett Holbrook said the university was aware of the lawsuit. “We want to be clear. The University of California explicitly rejects all forms of hatred, harassment and discrimination. “We are enacting system-wide reforms to promote safety and combat harassment and discrimination on campus. Our focus is on maintaining a UC that is safe and welcoming to everyone.”
LAPD and CHP spokesman said they had not commented on the pending lawsuit.
The lawsuit will take part in a series of legal actions related to the Roycequad camp that rose on April 25th.
Last July, Jewish students and faculty sued the university in federal court, accusing UCLA of allowing it to block Jews from certain campus routes. The Trump administration filed this week in support of an ongoing lawsuit. The protesters have denied exclusion of anyone based on religion or ethnicity.
In October, the American Civil Liberties Union sued in state court on behalf of two students and two faculty members (one part of the latest case) on the grounds that their free speech was violated and that they were illegally arrested during the protest.
Several federal departments under the Trump administration have chosen UCLA to investigate alleged anti-Semitism caused by Palestinian protests.
The UCLA camp was one of the largest to be built on university campuses across the United States as student movements swelled months after the October 7, 2023 attack on Hamas and the Hamas attack on Israeli war in Gaza. Activists at UCLA and elsewhere have called for universities to sell from arms companies and investments related to Israel, have halted study abroad programs in Israel, and cut or eliminated police on campus.
Multiple reviews from the University of California found that UCLA administrators were unable to coordinate quickly with law enforcement agencies that arrived on campus on April 30th. The Los Angeles Police Commission report also denounced the university. Police destroyed the camp on May 1 and 2, arresting more than 200 people. Smaller, shorter camps have been born over the weeks, including June 10th, which was cited in the lawsuit that ended with almost two dozen arrests and rubber bullet injuries.
In response to campus tensions, UCLA launched a new campus safety agency, contracting additional security patrols and re-reducing campus protest rules to limit free speech areas. It has enacted “zero tolerance” including overnight camping and violating the law, including campus practice violations and the use of face coverings. Critics say the university has enforced the rules unevenly.
On page 86, Thursday’s lawsuit is one of the court’s most extensive treatments to analyze events at campus that left a deep, prolonged mark on campus.
As part of the lawsuit, several protesters detail how they believe they are struggling with the treatment of universities and law enforcement. They cite fractures, post-traumatic stress disorder, nerve damage, and ongoing mental health concerns.
One is Azaly Boojar, an artist and musician who participated in the camp. During the mob attack, a vigilante group smashed their hands with metal rods, causing fractures and nerve damage, Busher said in a complaint.
Speaking at a press conference Thursday, she was forced to suffer from multiple failed surgeries and fell into medical debt, saying, “I can’t put my hands flat on the table or make my fist without any severe pain.”
“My main passion and income stream as a Pacific drummer is over,” said Boucher, who was not a student at UCLA. “UCLA has not only seen it, it has done nothing, but it values its investment portfolio for real people’s lives and safety.”
Student Faraaz Qureshi also details his experience. Qureshi, who was in the camp when police attacked it overnight on May 1st and 2nd, said he was shot four times with rubber bullets. According to the suit, the shots on the fingers caused “a wide range of soft tissue damage.”
“Qureshi “has a direct impact on his ability to perform daily tasks and remains unable to function,” and “continue to experience significant pain in his fingers and limited mobility,” the lawsuit said.
Graeme Blair, an associate professor of political science, explains in the lawsuit how the April 30 attacker sprayed “chemical ammunition” on his face – not of any kind – leaves him with a burning sensation for hours. He also spoke of his May 2 arrest, saying he “continuing to suffer psychologically and emotionally” and has been diagnosed with PTSD.
“In this lawsuit, we want to see a measure of accountability for what happened this spring,” Blair said Thursday.
Times staff writer Libor Jany contributed to this report.
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