On May 5, 2024, Los Angeles police cleared out a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California (USC) after the university issued a warning to protesters. The encampment had restarted following LAPD's arrest of 93 people on April 24, with attention turning to arrests at UCLA. USC officials closed their main campus and brought in Los Angeles police to remove the encampment from Alumni Park.
According to various sources, including student journalists and media outlets, the protesters left peacefully when police moved in. No arrests were reported during the operation. The encampment had been set up on a campus green space with makeshift fencing covered in signs supporting Palestinians and criticizing the university and law enforcement.
The University of Southern California has been a subject of student protests over the war in Gaza as well as its decision to cancel a commencement speech by the valedictorian, who had expressed support for Palestinians. The university made this decision due to safety concerns after receiving threats. Some Jewish groups criticized the student's selection as speaker.
Administrators later canceled the entire main-stage commencement planned for May 10, restricting access to the private campus for people not affiliated with USC since late April. Other commencement activities, including graduation ceremonies for individual schools and colleges, are still scheduled from Thursday through Sunday.
The pro-Palestinian protests at USC are part of a larger wave of demonstrations across universities in the United States. Some universities have seen violent clashes between police and protesters. The situation remains fluid as graduation ceremonies continue to take place nationwide.
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