University of California bans campus encampments, face masks

The University of California (UC) has enforced a ban on encampments on its premises and the use of face masks in response to pro-Gaza protests which swept across universities in the United States in the wake of Israel's onslaught on the besieged enclave.

The president of UC, Michael V Drake, claimed in a statement on Monday that the university was taking heavy-handed measures to ensure "a safe, inclusive campus climate that fosters a free exchange of ideas".

"Freedom to express diverse viewpoints is fundamental to the mission of the University, and lawful protests play a pivotal role in that process," the statement said.

"While the vast majority of protests held on our campuses are peaceful and nonviolent, some of the activities we saw this past year were not."

The statement said that stricter policies will be enforced ahead of the new academic year, banning encampments and people on campuses from concealing their identities.

The move came after students across US universities took part in nationwide protests against Israel's war on Gaza, which had killed over 40,000 - mostly women and children, and had been labelled as a genocide by rights experts.

UC campuses, including UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego, had seen "Free Palestine" encampments set up advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza.

At UCLA, over 200 students were arrested when police violently dismantled the campus encampment in May, leaving many of them facing legal and academic disciplinary action.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office told The Guardian that five referrals were received for misdemeanour cases, with a one-year window for filing charges.

At least 55 of the arrested students had received letters from the university threatening to place holds on their academic records or withhold their degrees.

"These legal efforts of repression of specifically our movement set really dangerous precedents for the future," Agnes, a recent UCLA graduate and member of Jewish Voice for Peace, who preferred only to use her first name, told The Guardian.

The news outlet reported that members of UCLA's Faculty for Justice in Palestine had spent their summer supporting students with legal assistance and court appearances.

Despite the university's strict efforts to stifle pro-Gaza activism, students have continued to push forward with their movement. 

At UCLA, the Palestine Solidarity Coalition, formed after the spring encampment and comprised of groups like Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, and UC Divest, has organised workshops throughout the summer under the banner of the People's University for a Liberated Palestine.

Marie Salem, a PhD student and media liaison for the coalition, told the Guardian that students were organising to educate others about divestment.

With the new academic year underway, they intend to closely examine the university and UC system's policies regarding encampments and campus policing.