About 35 people marched on campus Friday to demand UCLA divest from companies associated with the Israeli military, end on-campus policing and drop conduct cases against student protesters.
Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA organized the noon walkout commemorating the 59th anniversary of the 1967 Naksa – when Israel took control of the Gaza Strip and West Bank from Egypt and Jordan after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Israeli forces displaced about 300,000 Palestinians from their homes and villages, according to Amnesty International.
Protesters carried banners reading “Remember Al-Naksa” and chanted, “What we want is total freedom.” SJP said in a recent Instagram post that it wants the UC and UCLA to disclose current financial investments and sever ties with companies associated with the Israeli military in accordance with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
Members of SJP have regularly protested on campus since October 2023 – when Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip following an attack by Palestinian political party and militant group Hamas that killed about 1,200 people. The Israeli military has since killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Zabel, a SJP member who was granted partial anonymity due to fear of retaliation from UCLA, said pro-Palestine activists on campus have faced increased repression from university administration.
The Office of Student Conduct recommended indefinitely revoking SJP’s student organization status in March 2025, following a protest in February 2025 outside the home of UC Regent Jay Sures.
[Related: UCLA recommends indefinite ban for SJP, 4-year suspension for Graduate SJP]
About six uniformed UCPD officers watched the protesters gather from the outskirts of Bruin Plaza, alongside about 10 UCPD public safety aides and multiple groups of private security officers.
SJP also said in the Instagram post that it wants UCLA to repeal its current Time, Place and Manner policies – which ban students from organizing demonstrations in certain areas and require them to not interrupt UCLA activities or hold protests overnight.
UCPD Chief Craig Valenzuela, who was present at the walkout, said the department sent out officers to maintain on-campus safety and support students’ rights to free speech. Multiple officers spoke to protest organizers before the demonstration began, alongside student affairs personnel.
Richard Mejia, the director of emergency communications and information for UCLA’s Office of Campus and Community Safety, said in an emailed statement that UCPD aimed to maintain safety and access to the university. Mejia’s statement did not answer specific questions about the protest itself or the number of people UCPD had deployed.
Protesters marched down Bruin Walk to Dickson Court South at about 12:20 p.m. before gathering for speeches in front of Murphy Hall – where the offices of UCLA administrators are located. Organizers spoke about their experience with student conduct cases, alleging that some SJP members had been temporarily barred from entering campus and had their student accounts placed on hold for their involvement in SJP.
UCLA Media Relations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the alleged disciplinary actions.
The group of demonstrators sat on the steps of Murphy Hall at about 1:15 p.m. while chanting, “We will be victorious.”
“It’s important for us to be allowed to be in parts of campus like Bruin Plaza – for people to be able to go to various parts of campus to be able to protest,” Zabel said. “This is something that affects all students.”
