This post was updated June 5 at 5:40 p.m.
Chancellor Julio Frenk said UCLA must remain resilient amid threats to higher education during his inauguration Thursday.
Frenk, UCLA’s seventh chancellor, began his tenure Jan. 1 but was officially inaugurated during a ceremony in Royce Hall on Thursday. Three pro-Palestine protesters were detained after demonstrating in Dickson Plaza before and during the ceremony.
[Related: Q&A: Pre-inauguration, Chancellor Julio Frenk talks higher education, tenure]
Frenk said in a speech that he believes UCLA’s standing as a center of democracy is currently being questioned – and it must continue to protect freedom of expression and embrace difference. Before the event began, a group of about 30 pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside Royce Hall around 9:45 a.m., chanting, “Julio, escucha, estamos en la lucha,” and holding a banner reading, “Julio Frenk kills Palestinians and exploits workers.”
“Nobody on our campus should feel unsafe because of who they are or what they believe in,” Frenk said.
Around 10 a.m., about 20 UCPD officers in riot gear ran into the crowd, dispersing the protesters. Several protesters fell to the ground, and three were then arrested by officers.
Officers arrested one additional person outside the UCPD police station, though they were not related to the Dickson Plaza protest, Jeffrey Chobanian, UCPD’s acting administrative bureau captain, said in a text message.
As the two protesters’ hands were zip tied behind their backs, other protesters, student onlookers and some faculty members lined up to enter the inauguration chanted “Shame.”
Interim Chief Scott Scheffler said in a Thursday press release that UCPD officers instructed the protesters to stop using their “amplified sound.” After the protesters declined to do so, officers detained one person for the continued use of amplified sound equipment.
However, Tai, a protester who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, said they did not hear officers give a dispersal order or give a warning to the protesters before moving into the group.
Scheffler added in the press release that a second person attempted to physically delay officers from completing the first arrest and a third person intervened to prevent the second arrest, resulting in three total arrests. All three people arrested are affiliated with UCLA, and the cases will be forwarded to UCLA administration for review, Scheffler said in the press release.
Tai said they expected police to be present in Dickson Plaza, adding that protesters have become accustomed to writing jail support phone numbers on their arms and calling their parents before attending protests.
“Students should not have to fear that if they just picket in the main quad of their university during university hours, during their own Chancellor’s inauguration and just hold signs and chant and hold banners and things like that, that that will be grounds for their arrest,” Tai said.
Tai added that the UC Divest Coalition organized the protest because they felt that Frenk has prioritized profit over people in the months since he took office in January, and repressed the voices of unions and student workers.
In March, UC President Michael Drake implemented a systemwide hiring freeze in response to federal and state policies that threatened the University’s budget.
Frenk said in the speech that he believes higher education is currently facing a deeply challenging time due to declining trust and devaluation of universities, as well as fractured relationships with the federal government.
Amid threatened cuts to federal research grants, Frenk said UCLA must prioritize technological innovation to diversify its financial sources and keep research running. He added that science is under “attack” – and that UCLA Health must continue to play a key role in advancing the field.
[Related: UCLA researchers express concerns on academic funding cuts, NIH indirect costs cap]
“We must meet the moment with courage, resilience and wisdom,” Frenk said. “I am determined to channel the powerful mix of talent and commitment that defines the Bruin spirit to make sure that UCLA continues to advance the values that underpin our value to society, search for truth.”
He also committed to examining spring 2024 events – which he said “painfully divided” the campus – and to engaging in a deliberate effort towards reconciliation.
Pro-Palestine protesters set up an encampment in Dickson Plaza on April 25, 2024. Counter-protesters attacked the encampment with fireworks, tear gas and projectiles April 30, 2024, but law enforcement did not intervene for over three hours.
UCPD, LAPD and California Highway Patrol officers swept the encampment May 2, 2024, resulting in the arrests of over 200 protesters.
Tai said that though seeing their friends being arrested is upsetting, it does not discourage them from coming out and protesting.
“There’s never been an arrest here that made me say, ‘I guess it’s time to throw in the towel,’” they said. “I’m going to see you at jail support and I’m going to see you at the next strike and I’m going to see you tomorrow.”
Tai added that they feel Frenk has sided with the UC Regents rather than supporting students, and has allowed police to arrest and “brutalize” student protesters. They said they want to see Frenk work to end the hiring freeze on campus and divest from companies that invest in military and surveillance equipment.
Frenk added that he seeks to combat discrimination on campus, citing his creation of the UCLA Initiative to Combat Antisemitism in March. He also announced that he will launch a series of campus community conversations to build consensus on campus.
He also said he looks forward to reinforcing UCLA’s distinction as a university committed to broadening access to higher education and diversifying its student body.
“Excellence without inclusion deepens inequality and resentment, inclusion without excellence leads to waste and frustration,” Frenk said. “I commit to further elevating UCLA as a university that is both distinguished in its high level of achievement and distinctive in its commitment to broaden access and success for students from all walks of life.”
UC Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly, who presided over the event, said universities across the country – including UCLA – are facing challenges. She added that she believes that now is the time to demonstrate that public universities are essential to democracy and progress.
“With Chancellor Frenk at the helm, I know UCLA will rise to meet the moment, not only with resilience, but with renewed vision and renewed purpose,” she said.
Noor Nakhaei, UCLA’s Graduate Student Association president, said recent directives have created “unprecedented uncertainty” for undocumented students at UCLA. She added that the international students have also recently faced “extraordinary policy challenges.”
The Trump administration has attacked the rights of international students at universities across the country – including by revoking the visas of at least 19 UCLA students in April and attempting to block Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students.
Nakhaei said she believes UCLA – a university with a legacy of social justice – is particularly positioned to stand up for these groups. She also called on Frenk by name to protect these students throughout his tenure.
“I propose, Chancellor Frenk, that your administration implement comprehensive approaches demonstrating our institutional commitment to supporting all students, preserving research integrity from external interference, and protecting thoughtful expression on consequential issues,” she said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Frenk’s appointment as UCLA’s first Latino chancellor is a milestone for the city, and for higher education as a whole. She added that she looks forward to working with Frenk to improve LA, including by working on the 2028 Olympics with UCLA – the planned site of residence for thousands of athletes.
The inauguration began with a land acknowledgment from Chief Anthony Redblood Morales of the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians that honored the Gabrielino-Tongva indigenous communities whose land the school stands on. Morales said UCLA is an important partner to his tribe, and urged Frenk to continue the legacy of collaboration between the groups.
“May your leadership be guided by values of inclusiveness, sustainability and respect for the original caretakers of this land,” he said.
Academic Senate Chair Kathleen Bawn noted in a speech that the Palisades fire broke out within the first week of Frenk’s tenure. Bawn said she was grateful for how Frenk was able to keep campus calm, while also providing help to those who needed it.
“I am particularly grateful, Chancellor Frenk, for the wisdom you showed in reminding us the transformative power of kindness,” she said. “Finding ways to give kindness and help others empowers us and calms us, even under frightening circumstances.”
Drake, alongside Nobel Prize winner and professor of physics and astronomy Andrea Ghez, presented Frenk with the UCLA Chancellor’s Medal. Drake then read the standing orders of the Regents, officially installing Frenk as chancellor.
“Last year, when Chancellor Block decided to step down, we began to think of who could possibly fill those shoes and take UCLA that next step forward,” Drake said. “In thinking about the people that I’ve known across the country, Chancellor Frenk was at the top of the list.”
Contributing reports by Maggie Konecky, Kayla Williams, Dylan Winward and Madeline Woo, Daily Bruin staff.
