LOS ANGELES, California — A group of about a dozen protesters actually shoved this writer out of the” Palestine Solidarity Encampment” on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles, a public school, on Friday.
Since Thursday, activists have been camping it, setting up tents, hardwood barricades, and furniture scraps. As of Friday night, about 100 pro-Palestine protesters were reportedly present inside the camp.
Breitbart News arrived to movie and picture the camp, which is now surrounded by metal gates. Various other news outlets were manifest outside the camp, including nearby TV information, the , New York Times, and others.
Symptoms bearing a variety of phrases hung around the boundary of the camp, and within it, including” Homos for Palestine”. One symbol read: “LAPD, KKK, IOF THEY’RE ALL THE SAME”. ( “IOF” is a pejorative term for the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, which anti- Israel activists sometimes refer to as the” Israel Occupation Forces”. )
An anti-Israel and anti-police banner hangs on a prohibited wall at UCLA known as the” Palestine Solidarity Encampment.” Westwood, Los Angeles, California, April 26, 2024 ( Joel Pollak / Breitbart News )
The camp was guarded at two doors by protesters wearing bright uniforms and , kaffiyehs or KN95 faces, which were evidently distributed to reduce transmission of illnesses, but also to cover activists ‘ identities.
Activists in jerseys, masks, and keffiyehs guard the entrance to the” Palestine Solidarity Encampment” at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, April 26, 2024 ( Joel Pollak / Breitbart News )
As seen in the Breitbart News video, one of the guards first granted permission to the journalist, provided a mask was on and no almonds or fruits were brought into the camp ( perhaps because of allergies ).
Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart News
But, after a few seconds, protesters surrounded this columnist and attempted to hinder shooting. In clear, visible view of the internet, a group of about a hundred people gathered arms and repeatedly pushed this journalist toward the gate.
This columnist addressed the media members who were filming and capturing the abuse:
Flexibility for Palestine does not mean liberty for Americans, undoubtedly. These people are violating the United States Constitution, as well as the laws of the State of California, as well as committing popular abuse. I’m a part of the internet, and a member of the public. I have every right to be at a public college. This is the First Amendment. And all of you ]journalists ] should be in there, refusing to let them assault journalists. This is a violation of the First Amendment. They claim they stand for liberty in Palestine, but they’re violating the most basic rights of the United States Constitution. I have the right to picture what is happening at a public school both as a member of the internet and as a member of the public. Every one journalist should be in it, filming. You should be taking photos. You should abstain from attending seminars and stop being pushed around by these students who are evidently perplexed by what it means to be an American citizen.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the press’s liberty, which has its broadest impact on public property. The camp is situated in the middle of the university’s most people space because it is a public university.
California also has powerful media freedom laws that protect reporters who report on civil disturbances.
Two persons stood near, holding a symbol that said: “UCLA Faculty and Staff We Stand With Our Kids”.
At the” Palestine Solidarity Encampment” at UCLA, two UCLA workers demonstrate in cooperation with students. One claimed to be in charge of preventing student arrests and that he was generally there. Los Angeles, California, April 26, 2024 ( Joel Pollak / Breitbart News )
When questioned whether they supported pupils physically abusing journalists, they declined to provide a statement.
The UCLA camp is one of several that have been set up in recent weeks at colleges, public and private, across the United States. Several have used directly pro- terror language, and some have targeted Jewish students.
Joel B. Pollak is Top Editor- at- Big at Breitbart News and the number of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday night from 7 p. m. to 10 p. m. ET ( 4 p. m. to 7 p. m. Platinum ). He is the creator of the new history, Rhoda: ‘ Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the creator of the new electronic- book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U. S. Presidential Election. He is a champion of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Following him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
