USC and Pomona College Commencement Protests Result In Arrest
One protester was arrested for assaulting an officer on Sunday, May 12 in Los Angeles during the largest escalation between protesters and law enforcement officers since the encampment at the University of Southern California (USC) was cleared on April 24.
Student activists at USC and Pomona College came together to disrupt access to graduation ceremonies, and multiple scrummages broke out between protesters and law enforcement.
Pomona College relocated its Sunday graduation commencement ceremony to the Shrine Auditorium, located across the street from USC, after protesters set up tents on the stage at Pomona College where their original graduation ceremony was planned.
At 3 p.m., pro-Palestinine protesters from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at USC and Occidental College gathered in two groups with other Los Angeles and Orange County pro-Palestine organizations outside of the Shrine Auditorium. Pomona Divest and Palestinian Youth Movement’s Los Angeles, Orange County, and Inland Empire chapter were among the largest groups in attendance.
Protesters blocked access to the USC Jefferson Boulevard entrance, for cing graduates and their families to walk through a crowd of protesters on the West 32nd Street entrance. Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Apex security group encountered a skirmish while attempting to break up protesters at the Jefferson Boulevard entrance. LAPD pushed several protesters to the ground with their batons, but ultimately failed to break the protester’s blockade of the entrance, instead enforcing a line behind the protesters on the street and up a ramp.
At 6:10 p.m., protesters on Jefferson Boulevard marched to the group of protesters on the West 32nd Street entrance across South Figueroa Street, temporarily blocking traffic. Protesters armed with megaphones chanted, “We demand full liberation. Free Palestine, disclose, divest. We will not stop. We will not rest,” followed by others carrying banners, signs, and Palestinian flags. The two groups, around two hundred people in total, joined together as the LAPD began to increase their presence.
Soon after, another altercation broke out between the LAPD officers and protesters in front of the entrance to the Shrine Auditorium. A protester was seen grabbing the back of an officer’s neck, and multiple LAPD officers took the individual to the ground, subduing him with a knee placed on his back to hold him down. The individual was placed in handcuffs, taken to jail, and charged with assaulting an officer.
Many protesters took their phones out and began recording as LAPD forced the crowd back, forming a perimeter around the arrestee. This was the major escalation factor, with the police then pushing and prodding protesters back with batons, while some attempted to push the police back. There are currently no reported injuries, however, protesters were hit hard enough to cause bruising, and a legal observer was shoved to the ground by an LAPD officer.
The crowd ultimately held their ground for some time, as the police pushed protesters back. A dispersal order was given, but many protesters seemed unaware of the order as they began to trickle down the street, following the crowd to University Avenue where they held a short speech before slowly dispersing the area. A small collection of protesters and a group of legal observers remained at the police line. The police presence stayed on scene for several hours after the majority of protesters had left the area.
USC commencement ceremonies began on May 9 with the Trojan Family Graduate Celebration at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, where long lines wrapped around the building to get through security. The ceremony featured the school’s marching band, a drone show, and fireworks.
The following day kicked off the main graduation ceremonies where some protesters walked across the stage wearing their keffiyehs to show support for the movement. Many planned speakers for the graduation ceremonies canceled their attendance.
A small group of protesters set up a performative art installation of bloodied children’s clothes and posters on a pathway in front of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, criticizing the USC endowment fund.
Students entering the USC Marshall School of Business graduation ceremony came across the art installation, with many pointing and taking pictures. The posters on the fence of the Natural History Museum were removed shortly after by security.
Later that night, a protester returned and collected the clothes, most of which sat in dirt on the other side of the railing. It is not known if they were purposely taken down or blown off by the wind. Additionally, protest flyers were hung around campus during the graduation ceremonies. Alumni Park, where the protester’s encampment was located less than a week before, was gated off with large metal barricades and turned into an area for a celebration brunch for graduates, with a banner reading “all guests welcome” strung across a section of the fence.
On Monday, May 16, the USC Divest from Death organization held its own graduation ceremony, calling it the “people’s commencement.” Graduating students were celebrated among fellow students, USC faculty, and community members, receiving a flower to commemorate free Palestine. Palestinian flags and a shirt that read “USC stop funding genocide” were passed out as well, with the celebration containing food, dancing, and drumming.
