LA police clear out pro-Palestinian camp at university

Police in Los Angeles have cleared out a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California (USC).

Officers in riot gear moved into the site early on Sunday, as USC warned those who did not leave that they could be arrested, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner.

No arrests have been reported, and USC President Carol Folt thanked the police and campus security for clearing the camp “as peacefully and safely as possible”.

Rocked by weeks of pro-Palestinian protests, US universities are preparing for possible disruptions at upcoming graduation ceremonies.

Online images at USC show tents and debris left behind as officers formed a perimeter around the camp.

Zain Khan, a USC student journalist, told CBS that the encampment had around 100 people and was cleared out by “dozens” of police officers and members of the university’s Department of Public Safety (DPS).

“Most of them peacefully left, some of them were chanting,” he said.

USC later posted on social media that the campus was open to students, faculty, and staff with valid identification, but warned that “tents and related equipment” were not allowed and could be confiscated.

In a statement on Sunday, Dr Folt said action had to be taken because the encampment was disrupting exams and preparations for commencement ceremonies, and the situation was “spiralling in a dangerous direction”.

“My goals were to prioritise safety and return our campus and our surrounding community to normalcy,” she said.

“We were determined to ensure our students could finish their exams without further disruption and that USC could host the commencement celebrations our graduates have worked hard to earn.”

Dr Folt confirmed earlier this week that USC had started disciplinary investigations into an unspecified number of individuals who “violated our policies and the law”, according to CBS.

The proceedings follow the arrests of 93 people at USC last month after police and protesters clashed on campus.

The clear out of the USC camp comes just days after riot police removed a similar encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Earlier this week, police in New York arrested 112 protesters after Columbia University sought help clearing the Manhattan campus. Police later confirmed that an officer accidentally fired his gun during the clear out.

There was also campus tension at USC in mid-April when it announced it would cancel a graduation speech by a valedictorian Muslim student, citing unspecified security concerns.

The move came after complaints that her social media presence was antisemitic.

The university then cancelled the main graduation ceremony, which was set to take place on 10 May. Other commencement events are still set to take place on campus this week.

US universities have been rocked by weeks of protests, with demonstrators calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, and for academic institutions to financially divest from Israel and companies who stand to make money from the conflict.

There have been demonstrations at nearly 140 institutions across 45 states and Washington DC since the protests started at Columbia University last month, according to a BBC tally.

Police have detained more than 2,000 people nationwide in the past fortnight at college rallies and protest camps.