(NewsNation) — A Black UCLA student says campus protesters blocked him from entering the school library and other areas because they mistook him for an Israeli and assumed he was Jewish.
Milagro Jones said Wednesday on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live.” that Students for Justice in Palestine protesters “held me against my will for over an hour” after confronting him near the library.
“They explained that in their apology, the reason that they was holding me against my will, is because they mistook me for Israeli,” Jones said. “They were trying to say it as an insult, but I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Jones has posted videos of his confrontations with the pro-Palestinian protesters, which have gone viral. The videos show protesters blocking Jones’ path and grabbing his daughter’s stroller.
The college senior said he stands “up for zero tolerance on antisemitism anywhere on any campus.” He accused specific lecturers of participating in blocking him.
“Me as an African American student, I stand as an ally to the Jewish community,” Jones told NewsNation.
Jones rose from difficult circumstances, spending time in prison and being homeless as a single father before getting his GED. He said “it had to be God” who allowed him to overcome those challenges.
Jones said he plans to partner with pro-Israel groups “to start actually doing a lot of positive things” and facilitate dialogue between different sides on the issue.