Schools have a duty to keep all students safe from violence, discrimination and censorship. It is UC San Diego’s responsibility to ensure the safety of all students – including safety from police violence.
UC San Diego did not honor this responsibility when it brought in law enforcement to respond to peaceful student demonstrations on May 6, 2024.
Law enforcement needlessly used violence against protesters – they were sprayed with chemical weapons, beaten with batons and had physical force used against them.
Students now face academic punishment and criminal charges. Students should not be sanctioned for acts of protest or subjected to excessive, hostile policing.
On May 17, 2024, the ACLU-SDIC, Community Advocates for Just and Moral Governance (MoGo); Council on American-Islamic Relations – San Diego (CAIR); National Lawyers Guild, San Diego Chapter; and Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA) sent a letter to Chancellor Pradeep Khosla urging him to ensure students’ education, futures and wellbeing aren’t put at risk for acts of protest.
The letter calls on UCSD to cease its suppression of student speech, drop disciplinary hearings, and ensure no student faces punishment or housing loss.
