DPS officers appear to be mobilizing in the middle of a cold, rainy night that has become Day 12 of the Divest from Death encampment.
USC has been telegraphing action is coming since Friday night when the Office of the President sent a community-wide email stating that steps would be taken to ensure a quiet and safe environment for students to complete their finals.
“[L]et me be absolutely clear: free speech and assembly do not include the right to obstruct equal access to campus, damage property, or foment harassment, violence, and threats,” it read. “Nor is anyone entitled to obstruct the normal functions of our university, including commencement.”
For the first time in days, outside media are being allowed on campus. Annenberg Media is bringing you reporting from campus and also from listening to a police scanner.
LIVE UPDATES:
5:45 a.m.: After repeated requests to speak with a public information officer for either LAPD or DPS, police have stopped responding to Annenberg Media requests as the sun rises. The only remnants of the park are scraps of paper and torn down tents.
5:30 a.m.: Alumni Park seems to be completely cleared. LAPD officers are slowly retreating from the center of campus. DPS officers remain in large numbers.
5:28 a.m.: According to Penal Code 409.7, USC student reporters are allowed to lawfully be on campus to watch police activity from within the closed area. Annenberg Media reporters are being forced to stay back.
5:22 a.m.: The LAPD has begun to form a perimeter around the encampment.
5:17 a.m.: LAPD won’t confirm whether any arrests have been made as of yet. An alert from USC says the campus has been closed “as a result of significant activity at the center of campus,” and says that anyone who remains in the area will be arrested.
5:13 a.m.: Annenberg Media reporters attempted to move closer to the encampment see what was happening, a police officer came up to them and told them to back up to where they were. The officer said LAPD was “about halfway done” with clearing the encampment. Officers are not confirming any numbers of arrests or providing details of what’s happening. One DPS officer was heard saying “about halfway done.”
5:02 a.m.: Officers are now forming a perimeter around the encampment and are beginning to clear Alumni Park of tents after protesters were pushed off campus.
5:00 a.m.: The LAPD has arrived at the encampment site.
4:58 a.m.: Despite the difficult viewpoint for reporters, it appears there are dwindling numbers of protestors left in Alumni Park. Those left are chanting “Long live the intifada! And free, free Palestine!”
4:53 a.m.: Annenberg Media is now live on Instagram. Up until this point, we have been live on Youtube.
4:45 a.m.: DPS has threatened to confiscate Annenberg Media’s press passes if they do not comply. Reporters have been pushed back past Bovard, near Tommy Trojan, citing that media was in the way of police operations.
4:37 a.m.: Police officers are trying to restrict Annenberg Media to a staging area far from the encampment site. An officer told the reporters, “act like the media, and we’re going to treat you like the media.” When LAPD arrested 93 people on April 24, Annenberg Media covered it live on YouTube. The staging area is too far to witness any arrests.
4:35 a.m.: Officers are removing the banners hung by the protesters and moving them to the side of Alumni Park. An officer told Annenberg Media reporters that this is “a DPS operation.”
4:28 a.m.: Press is being told to move to a different area before the arrests begin. An officer who spoke briefly with Annenberg Media said they weren’t sure what the possible charges those arrested would be facing as protesters slowly exit the encampment.
4:25 a.m.: DPS officers give protesters in the encampment 15 minutes to leave the area before facing arrest
4:17 a.m.: Officers are surrounding the encampment. Protestors are shouting, “Free Palestine.”
4:16 a.m.: USC has put out a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the LAPD is “clearing the center of UPC” and anyone who doesn’t leave “could be arrested.” USC also sent out an alert via text and email.
4:14 a.m.: Officers have told Annenberg Media reporters that they need to remain in the press area, away from the encampment.
4:08 a.m.: A large number of officers have arrived and are mobilizing.
3:51 a.m.: DPS officers on scene of campus said they plan on coming in around 4 a.m. and a press area will be set up in front of Bovard by the encampment.
2:52 a.m.: DPS officers huddled under the Downey Way parking structure. A reporter overheard the phrase “no punching.” Moments later, DPS vehicles passed the lot.
2:44 a.m.: A DPS officer reopened the gates at USC village, allowing residents back into the space. According to a yellow jacket, the gates were locked for about 20 minutes.
2:30 a.m.: A student studying at Leavey Library told an Annenberg Media reporter security said he would not be able to return to the library if he left for some fresh air. “They’re only letting people out, not in,” the student said.
2:20 a.m.: “The entire campus needs to be locked down now,” a reporter monitoring a police scanner heard. A second message suggested all pedestrian and vehicle gates have been secured.
1:00 a.m.: Protestors remain at the encampment as the rain continues to pick up. No signs of increased DPS, LAPD or counter-protest presence.
12:30 a.m: Another group of hecklers walked by the perimeter of the encampment, shouting towards members inside, “Stay awake,” and “keep your masks on.”
12:20 a.m.: The encampment continues to be quiet. Organizers shared with Annenberg Media that they are “committed” and on “high alert.” They reiterated that they would not be leaving until their demands were met. A small group of hecklers, who appeared to be intoxicated, walked by the encampment harassing a reporter and yelling at demonstrators at Alumni Park. DPS activity remains the same.
May 4
10:30 p.m.: More than five hours after the warning from Alonzo was given, the encampment has continued on. Protestors host a film screening of WARmerica after an evening of teach-ins, dinner, and continued peaceful demonstrating. Despite earlier warnings from the administration to clear the encampment, there are no signs of relocation to the “free speech area.” Campus is quiet with no signs of increased law enforcement. At least four DPS officers are stationed around Alumni Park, as they have been since the encampment started. Campus remains open to students and guests who registered before administration revoked access Friday night.
8:00 p.m.: The village is open to enter and leave.
7:00 p.m.: The village has been closed to the public and all gates to enter are closed.
5:12 p.m.: Nancy Alonzo, the assistant director of the USC Village Residential Colleges came to the outskirts of the encampment with a letter. She read it out to the liaisons of the Divest from Death Coalition.
“The encampment has to go down, as we have mentioned before, your encampment and acts of vandalism and the theft of university property violates policies and the law. These policies actually exist to protect the safety and security of every member of our community and we must enforce these policies consistently as we have always done,” the letter read. “And then we also set up an alternative free speech area that’s available to you all and you can move the encampment there.”
According to the liaisons of the coalition, the USC Student life representative did not allow them to take a picture or have a physical copy of the letter.
5:04 p.m.: Overheard on DPS radio: DPS is following two suspects on McClintock north of Jefferson possibly distributing food to the encampment. Additionally, DPS has denied access to protestors bringing “helmets and face shields.”
4:30 p.m.: Overheard on DPS radio: “I was instructed not to allow anyone [into campus] bringing in materials to the camp.”
3:35 p.m.: DPS has locked down buildings on campus.
3:15 p.m.: LAPD has detained two unidentified persons on the south side of campus near the Royal St. Parking Lot for allegedly trying to jump the campus fences. An officer on the scene said they “doubt they were students.” It was not immediately clear why the pair was allegedly trying to access the campus.
2:15 p.m.: DPS Assistant Chief Carlisle confirms that all administrative buildings will be locked.
1:55 p.m.: Additional wire fences have been installed outside of Doheny Library’s main entrance and next to the encampment. The staff erecting the fences did not comment on the purpose.
1:50 p.m.: Select campus buildings are closed. The doors of Annenberg (ANN), which is supposed to be open today for study hours, have been locked although the building has not been cleared of those inside. DPS confirmed that the buildings have been closed “because of the protest,” and suggested the libraries for studying.
11:15 a.m.: A banner was released from the left-hand side top window of Doheny Library. The banner bearers fled the scene immediately. One officer followed. The students hopped a fence then fled on foot to Figueroa Street. Two officers are examining the scene at Doheny.
