HOSTAGE SITUATION?: Cal State LA anti-Israel protesters occupy building with administrators still inside, university asks employees to shelter in place
Anti-Israel protesters at California State University, Los Angeles, occupied a campus building with employees still inside on Wednesday night.
Anti-Israel protesters at California State University, Los Angeles, occupied a campus building with employees still inside on Wednesday night.
ABC 7 in Los Angeles reported that a group of people who were inside the anti-Israel encampment that has been ongoing for a month decided to occupy the Student Services Building and its surrounding plaza, also overturning golf carts and stacking furniture.
Notably, the president’s office is located inside the Student Services Building. The LAPD told ABC 7 they hadn’t been asked to intervene.
Once inside the building, the protesters attempted to reinforce the barricades with more furniture and copy machines from inside the office space.
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University employees were still inside the building at the time that protesters took it over, prompting Cal State LA to issue a shelter-in-place warning for workers inside the Student Services Building. Employees across campus were asked to leave.
”I can confirm that there are still a small number of administrators in the building,” a university spokesperson told ABC 7. ”We are working through options to bring this fluid situation to the best resolution possible.”
Among the items protesters were seen bringing into the building are food and even diapers.
Pictures and videos taken outside of the building show heavy vandalism.
Incredibly inspiring stuff happening here at CSULA. Helicopters are circling and the cops are staging by the forensics building. Get here if you can! https://t.co/4mZW8qhMBf pic.twitter.com/HhKKW2hES0
— People’s City Council - Los Angeles (@PplsCityCouncil) June 13, 2024
Protestors are fortifying their barricades outside of the building while they wait on CSULA President Eanes to negotiate with them
LONG LIVE THE STUDENT INTIFADA 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 https://t.co/NuBavODVNx pic.twitter.com/iZUmpFrObG— People’s City Council - Los Angeles (@PplsCityCouncil) June 13, 2024
More vandalism was also seen inside the building, with “free Palestine” and “End ties w/ Zionists” seen written on walls.
Did a quick walkthrough of student services. Building has been marked up and and the furniture has been totally rearranged on the first 4 floors. According to the students outside the building the university president is now claiming she’s been kidnapped and cannot leave. pic.twitter.com/t9vEx9tyPh
— Shay Horse (@HuntedHorse) June 13, 2024
Before their Instagram account was taken down, Students for Justice in Palestine at CSULA was sharing pictures from inside the building, showing anti-Israel phrases on the walls.
On June 3 in an Instagram post promoting a fundraiser, the SJP chapter featured terrorist Leila Khaled and displayed the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s logo, which is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
