Topline:
Forty more people have been charged in connection with campus protests at UC Irvine and a student encampment calling for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday announced the charges, including one for vandalism and resisting arrest and 39 others for failing to follow dispersal orders.
About the charges: In September, prosecutors announced charges against 10 people, including a professor and lecturer. Their arraignments are scheduled for today. A total of 26 UC Irvine students have been charged.
What the DA says: “The right to peaceful assembly is a constitutional right and we encourage protestors to exercise their right to peaceful assembly on any issue,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “However, criminal activity which transcends peaceful assembly will not be tolerated.
The reaction: The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the charges were part of “an ongoing nationwide effort” to “intimidate, harass, and silence pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses.”
LAist has reached out to UC Irvine for comment.
How we got here: More than 45 people were arrested in May when authorities were called in to break up a student encampment. The students were protesting Israel’s war in Gaza, calling on the university to sever ties with weapons manufacturers. They were also asking the university to invest in a Palestine Studies program and to create financial subsidies for Palestinian students.
