A pro-Palestinian encampment in the middle of USC‘s main campus was cleared Sunday morning by university police and LAPD officers, ending a high-profile demonstration that began in April.
No arrests or major confrontations were reported, but the campus remains closed.
“Earlier today, the University of Southern California Department of Public Safety (DPS) successfully removed the illegal encampment rebuilt on the university’s campus,” Joel Curran, USC’s senior vice president of communications said in a statement.
“It was necessary to request the Los Angeles Police Department to respond to provide security as this was carried out peacefully. No arrests have been reported,” he said.
Clean-up of the encampment, which had been rebuilt after previously being cleared on April 24, began around 4 a.m.
At 4:25 a.m., officers gave protesters 15 minutes to leave or face arrest.
At 4:35 a.m. the officers began to remove the banners hung by protesters, moving them to the side of the park.
A videographer at the scene said officers pushed 50 to 75 students out of the encampment and off the campus. The officers then cleared out the tents and other gear that was left behind.
The police action came just days after USC President Carol Folt wrote an open letter to the “Trojan Family” stressing the steps the university was taking to ensure that students finish finals “in a quiet, safe academic environment — and that our graduating students can enjoy peaceful and joyous commencement ceremonies.”
Folt also took a firm stand toward protesters who might continue to be disruptive.
“Let me be absolutely clear,” she wrote in the letter released Friday. “Free speech and assembly do not include the right to obstruct equal access to campus, damage property, or foment harassment, violence, and threats. Nor is anyone entitled to obstruct the normal functions of our university, including commencement.”
The university became a focal point of pro-Palestinian protests following its April 15 decision to cancel valedictorian Asna Tabassum‘s commencement speech in response to complaints about her online posts critics called antisemitic. USC officials insisted the move was solely a security issue, not a political decision.
Still, tensions continued to mount — leading to the mass protest April 24th and attempted occupation of Alumni Park that resulted in the 93 arrests and the clearing of the earlier encampment.
The university eventually opted to cancel its May 10 main stage commencement altogether, but vowed to move forward with the usual array of smaller satellite graduation ceremonies for the school’s individual colleges.
Those ceremonies are set to begin this Wednesday.
City News Service contributed to this article.