(NewsNation) — The University of Southern California’s campus in Los Angeles remained closed on Thursday following pro-Palestinian protests this week.
Students have set up encampments at universities across the country to protest the Israeli military offensive in Gaza that has killed an estimated 34,000 Palestinians and spread widespread devastation.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Police Department said there were 93 arrests connected to the demonstrations at USC, but no reports of injuries.
USC said late Wednesday night that campus will remain closed until “further notice,” though students, faculty, staff, and people with business on campus can enter with “proper identification.”
USC made national headlines earlier this year after blocking its valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, from speaking at commencement after groups complained about posts on social media she liked that advocated for Palestinians.
According to NPR, Tabassum’s Instagram account linked to a slideshow that criticizes Zionism, informs the public of what is happening in Palestinian territories and suggests ways the public can assist in Gaza.
University officials claimed they stopped Tabassum from giving her speech for “safety reasons,” but she and organizations such as The Greater Los Angeles Area Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations say this is just another example of the discrimination Palestinians and Muslims have faced since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
USC announced on Thursday that it will not be hosting the main stage commencement ceremony this year, although it said it will be hosting “dozens” of other events, “including all the traditional individual school commencement ceremonies where students cross the stage, have their names announced, are photographed, and receive their diplomas.”
“With the new safety measures in place this year, the time needed to process the large number of guests coming to campus will increase substantially,” the university said in a statement. “…We understand that this is disappointing; however, we are adding many new activities and celebrations to make this commencement academically meaningful, memorable, and uniquely USC, including places to gather with family, friends, faculty, and staff, the celebratory releasing of the doves, and performances by the Trojan Marching Band.”
On Wednesday at USC, police removed several tents, getting into tent-tugging matches with protestors before falling back.
At one point, USC police detained a man and put him in a vehicle, though relented after a crowd surrounded the car and chanted “Let him go!”
The man waved at demonstrators to indicate they should return to the park.
Encampments set up at UCLA
Meanwhile, dozens of tent encampments were set up at the University of California, Los Angeles Thursday. A protest leader initially told NewsNation over 100 students were at the “Palestine Solidarity Encampment,” adding that students plan to stay “indefinitely.” The number of protestors later grew to include more than 300 people.
Faculty and staff at UCLA were present at the protests as well.
UCLA, meanwhile, said it is “monitoring the situation to support a peaceful campus environment.” Unlike USC, UCLA is a public university.
When asked about the 93 arrests at USC, a protestor at UCLA said that there’s “many ways that this can go.”
“We want to keep our people safe,” they said to NewsNation.
Protests remained peaceful in the early afternoon, with the UCLA Fire Mashal meeting with students to make sure there were safe conditions inside the encampment. While campus police were keeping tabs on the protest, they did not get near the zone.