Representatives of the USC Divest from Death coalition sharply criticized President Carol Folt Monday and demanded the administration drop all charges and disciplinary actions against protesters.
It was the first press conference since the group’s early morning eviction from Alumni Park Sunday. More than 100 of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and USC’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers came in with riot gear and zip ties. Protesters dispersed peacefully, and there were no arrests.
But those involved were identified by law enforcement as they exited campus, and the USC administration sent at least 14 students emails notifying them of disciplinary actions, including suspensions. At least two students were given eviction notices from student housing for the following day. More suspensions followed Tuesday.
In a testament to the difficulty of the issue, none of the press conference speakers would identify themselves by name.
“These interim suspensions are yet another tactic of intimidation to silence students from voicing our dissent,” said a speaker, who identified only as a 2024 graduating senior.
At the press conference held outside the university gates at Trousdale Parkway, three representatives read a group statement. They called for the university to drop all charges and academic sanctions.
“No evidence was provided in the emails from the administration to justify any alleged offenses of conduct. Yet statements from the administration demonstrate an obvious presumption of guilt,” they said.
In the emailed letter, signed by Emily Sandovol, associate vice provost for student life, read “it was reported” that the recipient had “supported the illegal construction of an encampment on campus that was cleared by LAPD and DPS early this morning and that you had to be removed by DPS/LAPD.” Under the immediate interim suspension, the letter announced that students can complete final exams only with approval from instructors to do so remotely or virtually. Suspended students were barred from campus except for accessing urgent medical treatment at a healthcare facility.
“Some of the students suspended were identified because they were under threat of arrest by LAPD,” said a faculty member who identified themselves as Jay. “Other suspended students had been detained by DPS earlier in the week for reclaiming discarded materials, and even others were suspended with no explicit connection to the occupation.”
The group also condemned Folt for going back on promises they said she made during two negotiation meetings last week. They said Folt promised the group that the administration would not bring disciplinary action against students demonstrating.
“While Folt made no meaningful insights toward the coalition’s demands, she did promise, on record, that she would not use academic sanctions or police repression against students unless the students engaged in violence,” they said. “We now know her promise was a bold faced lie.”
The faculty member present cited USC faculty’s broad opposition to the repression of students protesting.
“The administration has chosen escalation at every step,” he said. “The administration has continuously characterized peaceful occupation as volatile and in dangerous violation of school policies in order to justify the police response. It is clear to all that the true danger to this community is the USC administration and the enthusiasm with which they wield DPS and the LAPD to repress the community.”
The university public relations department is yet to respond to Annenberg Media’s request for a comment but on Monday posted a long FAQ, which said the university had long standing policies against encampments, harassment and vandalism. “The encampment and occupiers endangered the health and safety of our community, created a focal point for potential violence, and deprived our community members of a safe and freely accessible academic environment,” it read.
Members of the Divest from Death Coalition denounced the administration’s refusal to discuss or negotiate around their demands. “They arbitrarily invoke codes of conduct to justify standing against humanity,” said another group spokesperson, who identified only as an upperclassman. “If violation of school policy makes students worthy of repression and arrest then we must ask what punishment is worthy for a school that violates international law.”
The administration’s FAQ addressed the decision to remove the encampment and responded to what they called “occupiers” demands within existing university policies. The administration suggested the group work through the Advisory Committee on Investment Responsibility, formed in 2022 to advise the Board of Trustees, to push for divestment from companies with ties to Israel and weapons-manufacturers. On the call for an academic boycott from Israel, the administration responded that USC is against such boycotts as they stand against academic freedom. Among others, the administration repeated their commitment to freedom of speech, but within the university’s existing policies set forth in the USC Student Handbook.
The Divest from Death coalition said the administration’s reference to “safety concerns” is a method of suppressing students’ rights to freedom of speech and assembly.
“How can we ever imagine them to be guarantors of our safety when they openly admit to valuing their bottom line over human life?” they said.
Not long after the press conference, a protester who identified as a student was detained in the USC Village. He was demonstrating with a sign that read “sue USC” and yelled, “sue USC for the obstruction of free speech in the false name of safety!” DPS officers physically removed him from the area, then handcuffed and detained him citing trespassing. In a response to Annenberg Media’s request for comment, DPS said the protester had twice in two locations refused to present his student ID as required by university policy, and so was arrested for trespassing, and transferred to LAPD for booking.
Hours after the press conference the Divest from Death coalition released an Instagram call to action to USC alumni to contact the administration and condemn the disciplinary actions and “violent harassment” of students.
“We unequivocally reject the intimidation of our administration and remain unmoved in our commitment to Palestinian Liberation,” the collective said.