In a recording sent to a UCLA political science students’ GroupMe, a person claiming to be a candidate for the Undergraduate Students Association Council suggested bulldozing the Palestine solidarity encampment and shooting its participants.
“Shoot the shit out of them,” said a person claiming to be Evie Sijl, who is running for general representative. “Clean it up. Bring a big bulldozer. Bulldoze it down. Take it away.”
In the recording, the person claiming to be Sijl, a third-year history student, made remarks criticizing the now-dismantled encampment.
“I’m running for USAC,” the person said in response to a question about her candidacy. “Gen rep, Evie Sijl.”
The recording was emailed anonymously to The Bruin on Sunday after it circulated on the GroupMe. The sender said the file was recorded directly outside the encampment. The Bruin could not independently verify where, when or how the audio was obtained or whether Sijl made the comments attributed to her.
The Bruin could not independently verify where, when or how the audio – first circulated on a political science students’ GroupMe – was obtained or whether Sijl made the comments attributed to her.
Sijl originally agreed to an interview with The Bruin on Monday but canceled shortly before, instead providing a written statement over Instagram direct messages.
In the written reply, Sijl declined to say whether she made those statements or was the person speaking in the recording.
“I condemn all violence and believe in the right to protest in accordance with the law,” Sijl said in the statement. “I am shocked and dismayed that there is an alleged recorded conversation of me when I have not given permission for anyone to record me.”
In the recording, the person claiming to be Sijl speaks to at least two others who were not able to be identified.
When asked how she would prevent another encampment as general representative, the person claiming to be Sijl said USAC should not discuss politics. The person also said she wanted to forcefully disband the encampment using riot police.
The person claiming to be Sijl also said she had entered the encampment, and another individual in the recording said the two of them had used “fake names” and “fake phone numbers.”
The original Google Drive link of the recording sent to the GroupMe has since been deleted.
