UCLA To Hunt Counter-Protestors, Announces Partnership with Gascon LAPD

In yet another suspiciously timed statement, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block announced Monday night that the school has launched an investigation into the mayhem-filled April 30 counter-protest to the pro-Palestinian mob that had been encamped on campus for the previous week.

“Last Tuesday night, a group of instigators came to Royce Quad and violently attacked students, faculty and staff members who were encamped to advocate for Palestinian rights,” said Block.  “This was a truly despicable act, and in my message to the campus the following day, I committed to finding those responsible and bringing them to justice.”

Without referencing the chaos and aggressive antisemitism – including not letting Jewish students enter school buildings – that sprung from the original protest, Block said the counter-protestors will be identified and held “to account.”

To that end, Block has had his new chief of campus security, Rick Braziel, partner with the LAPD and Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon to find, arrest, and charge the counter-protesters.

Again – no reference to the original protestors being found, arrested, and charged.

In a move that is reminiscent of other recent government investigations into politically inconvenient public protests, Block is even asking for the public to help identify the counter-protestors.

“UCPD is currently reviewing all available footage from last Tuesday night and speaking to witnesses who were present,” said Block “We urge anyone who saw the violence firsthand or who has information about the attack to report it as soon as possible.”

Block added that the FBI has been contacted, that the LAPD will be committing a detective to the search and that Gascon’s office is being asked to “help in ensuring that the instigators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Apparently Block has not actually met Gascon, as prosecuting “to the fullest extent of the law” is not exactly his forte.

Although in this case, Gascon may actually try to do something since the counter-protestors were attacking a progressive, pro-Palestinian encampment, i.e. people most likely to be ideological soulmates.

Block did add that the entirety of the events of the past two weeks on campus will be reviewed and investigated.

Since last Tuesday, there has reportedly been a great deal of blame casting, with both UCPD Chief John Thomas being heavily criticized for not being properly prepared for the counter-protest and Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck – whose purview included campus security until Block stripped it from him Sunday – for handling the entire protest poorly.

“To date, the initial response from the UCLA administration seeks to blame law enforcement, specifically the UCLA PD Chief, for the events that unfolded,” said Wade Stern president of the Federated University Police Officers Association, the union that represents UC law enforcement. “This is a clear attempt by the administration to avoid ownership of what occurred.”

Stern said UCLA failed to follow its own guidelines for dealing with protests and has since appeared to avoid answering detailed questions – such as “What were the directives administrators given to UC Police prior to the counterprotest on Thursday? Was UCLA PD ever told by administrators to “not intervene” when other students were harassed or attacked by encampment protestors?” – publicly.

UCLA media staff has not responded to multiple calls and emails from the Globe requesting comment.

But it can be safely assumed that the school’s media staff has been deeply involved in the decisions to announce an overhaul of the campus security bureaucracy on a Sunday night and Monday night’s investigation announcement.

Because when you do not want to answer questions, that’s when you put out new info – when nobody’s in the office.