Campus Watch October 23, 2024

UCLA Graduate SJP Builds “Sukkah for Gaza” on Campus

The Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at UCLA built a “Sukkah for Gaza” structure on campus.

According to The Daily Bruin’s live feed, the university ordered the structure to be removed, as it is “unauthorized” and violated UCLA’s time, place and manner restrictions. The anti-Israel protesters initially refused to remove it, as they are claimed “it is a religious expression,” per the Bruin. The anti-Israel protesters chanted slogans like “Disclose, divest, we will not stop we will not rest,” “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we charge you with apartheid,” and “Israel is a terrorist state.”

Later in the evening, police gave a dispersal order; one person was arrested for disobeying the order. By 10:04 pm, the area was cleared, according to the Bruin.

Stefanik, Ernst Call on FBI to Investigate Anti-Israel Student Group at Columbia

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) sent a letter to the FBI on Oct. 14 urging them to investigate the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) over “violent threats.”

Stefanik and Ernst pointed to how a member of CUAD said that “Zionists don’t deserve to live,” and “be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists.” “Earlier in the week, the same group endorsed the Hamas-claimed terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, embracing the same language used in its publicly posted threat, calling it ‘a significant act of resistance,’” Stefanik and Ernst wrote. “This so-called ‘bold attack’ claimed the lives of seven people. Among the dead was the mother of a nine-month-old baby who died shielding her child, who himself was rushed to the hospital with injuries.”  Stefanik and Ernst contended that “federal intervention is now necessary.” “Rarely has the FBI had such public and obvious evidence of potentially imminent violence,” the Republican lawmakers wrote. “This cannot become another instance in which a terrible case of violence takes place at a school and the FBI issues a statement after the fact that the perpetrators were ‘on its radar,’ but did nothing. Put simply, the writing is on the wall and you have no excuse. Do your job.”

Stickers of Swastikas on Israeli Flags Posted Near Harvard Hillel

Stickers of an Israeli flags with a swastika in place of a Star of David were found nearby Harvard University’s Hillel on Oct. 14. 

According to The Harvard Crimson, the stickers were accompanied with the words, “Stop Funding Israeli Terrorism.” Police are investigating the matter. Harvard Hillel Executive Director Jason Rubenstein told the Crimson, “First we saw for a long stretch of time this was happening on social media, and then there were calls for escalation. Now, we’re seeing it happen physically — in a physical manifestation — just a few feet from the Hillel building.” University spokesperson Jason Newton told the student newspaper, “Harvard has and will continue to be unequivocal that antisemitism will not be tolerated on our campus.”

UMich Board of Regents Unanimously Adopts Institutional Neutrality

The University of Michigan’s Board of Regents unanimously adopted institutional neutrality during an Oct. 17 meeting.

The bylaw, according to The Michigan Daily, “prohibits regents and other University leaders from making statements on behalf of the University on issues not related to internal governance.” Regent Mark Bernstein said during the meeting, “There was no statement after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. There was no statement during World War I. There was no statement during World War II. There were no statements after the JFK assassination, there were no statements and on and on and on. Institutional statements are a modern phenomenon and misguided venture that portrays a public mission. As an institution, therefore, we should put up questions before answers in this policy.”

Two Arrested Over Toronto Jewish School Shooting

The Toronto Police Service announced in an Oct. 18 press release that two people have been arrested for being allegedly involved in an Oct. 12 shooting at Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School in Toronto.

The police identified the two arrested individuals as Helder Antonio De Ameida, 20, and a unidentified 17-year-old male. According to a press release, there was evidence that a gun was discharged at the school and a shattered window was found; no one was present at the school at the time of the shooting and no one was injured. 

“I’m pleased to announce the arrest of two individuals in connection with the incident that took place at Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School on Saturday, October 12,” Deputy Chief of Police Robert Johnson said in a statement. “Both males face multiple charges, including unauthorized possession of a loaded firearm—a Glock handgun modified to be fully automatic. While I can’t share details on the motivation behind this incident due to the ongoing investigation, we are thoroughly exploring why these two individuals committed these crimes and any connections to the previous shooting incident at this school on May 25, 2024.”