Ilhan Omar tears into UCLA chancellor for perpetrating 'violence' by allowing pro- and anti-Israel rioters to clash and release rats into Gaza ally camp
'You could have prevented this by protecting these students' First Amendment right to assemble,' Omar saidREAD MORE: Columbia president in the hot seat
Rep. Ilhan Omar tore into UCLA Chancellor Gene Block for 'allowing' a violent clash between pro- and anti-Israel demonstrators on campus where they say rats were released into their pro-Gaza encampment.
'You could have prevented this by protecting these students' First Amendment right to assemble,' Omar said.
She went on:
'You could have prevented this when you learned about rats being released into the encampment. You could have prevented this when an anonymous group funded and constructed a giant video with loudspeakers to play vile and disturbing footage.'
The pro-Israel camp set up screens outside the pro-Gaza camp to play footage from the October 7 Hamas attack.
Rep. Ilhan Omar tore into UCLA Chancellor Gene Block for 'allowing' a violent clash between pro- and anti-Israel demonstrators on campus where they say rats were released into their pro-Gaza encampment
An anti-Israel demonstrator told CNN that at an encampment on April 30 at UCLA 'Zionist thugs' had issued rape and death threats and released rats into their demonstration.
'We have warned the university about the threats of rape, death threats against our students, physical harassment, the release of rats on our encampment by Zionists during the nighttime,' the student, 'encampment media liaison' and political science Ph.D. student Vincent Doehr said.
'Every night, Zionists have come and harassed the encampment, harassed students trying to peacefully call for divestment of the UC's endowment from corporations that profit off of the Israeli genocide of Palestinians. We saw Zionists grab our barricades and tried to rip them down. Zionists maced the majority of students in the encampment and the police that the university had hired, the private security guards, stared and watched as this happened,' Doehr added.
Dr. Gene Block, Chancellor, University of California, Los Angeles arrives at a hearing called 'Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic College Chaos'
A general view shows the pro-Palestinian protest encampment at the UCLA on May 1, 2024
California Highway Patrol officers detain protestors while clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment after dispersal orders were given at the UCLA campus on May 2, 2024
LAPD officers keep watch near a pro-Palestinian encampment after a dispersal order was given at the UCLA campus, on May 1, 2024
At the height of the pro-Gaza encampments that sprung up at universities across the nation, about 100 pro-Israel counter-protesters showed up to a pro-Palestine demonstration and clashed them for about three hours before police intervention.
'How did you fail these students at many critical points where you could have intervened? she asked.
'I reject the premise,' said Block. She cut him off again before he could finish his response.
Omar insisted Block was 'responsible' for violence.
'Because of your inaction, they acted on the intention and brutally attacked students. You were responsible for this.'
Block replied: 'LAPD is working on trying to identify the people who were assailants that evening—' '—It's been over a month!' Omar interrupted.
Omar has visited university Palestinian demonstrations in support and her daughter was arrested at Columbia University - where the encampments began.
At another point in the hearing, Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., hammered Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway for an agreement he made with protesters to allow space for 10 displaced Palestinians at the unversity. The congressman asked Holloway if he thought that would violate anti-discrimination law.
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'We have existing programs to support refugee students and scholars and we would lean on those programs,' Holloway said. 'We actually don't believe in quotas, sir.'
Grothman said the agreement seemingly rewarded Palestinians for the 'trouble they are causing and the hate they are encouraging.'
'On this whole Gaza situation the Palestinians could not have taken a more outlandish position,' Grothman said. 'Their little ethnic group here is rewarded with 10 spaces.'
'I'm sure there are all sorts of foreigners around the world that would be happy to have those 10 spaces. Do you think that's a wise thing to do?' the Wisconsin Republican went on. 'In reward for this support of Hamas?'
Holloway reiterated they have many programs to support refugees.
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Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens meanwhile blasted Republicans for 'pretending' to care about equity and having three antisemitism hearings over the past months and none on college costs.
'We have tons of issues before us in this country, and frankly those who pretend to care about equity, as we have seen time and time again in this committee, is an outrage. It is an absolute outrage," Stevens said.
She went on: "We know what it costs to go to your schools. It's unbelievable how much it costs. That's what we should be focusing on, not this pretend argument about equity."
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And at another moment, all three university presidents were unable to say who was funding pro-Gaza encampments on their campuses during a hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday.
'Who is behind these encampments?' Rep. Brandon Smith, R-N.Y., asked. 'Which groups, faculty, maybe departments, student organizations, who's behind these encampments?'
'I don't know,' said Northwestern University President Michael Schill.
'We have a lot of outside organizations involved,' said Holloway. 'I'm unable to tell you which organizations.'
'I'm uncertain,' said Block.