UCLA issued an interim suspension to two pro-Palestinian student organizations on Wednesday after masked protesters allegedly vandalized Regent Jay Sures’ Brentwood home last week and reportedly harassed his wife.
Chancellor Julio Frenk announced that the two groups could no longer hold on-campus meetings, apply for funding, or formally associate with UCLA while officials investigate their alleged misconduct, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Frenk described the alleged harassment in a campus update on Wednesday:
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On February 5, 2025, individuals affiliated with the student groups harassed Mr. Sures and members of his family outside his home.
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Individuals surrounded the vehicle of a Sures family member and prevented that family member’s free movement.
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Individuals pounded on drums, chanting and holding signs with threatening messages such as “Sures you will pay, until you see your final day.”
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Individuals vandalized the Sures home by applying red-colored handprints to the outer walls of the home and hung banners on the property’s hedges.
“This is not about me. I’m the target but this is about protecting every member of our community from intimidation and hate,” Sures said.
The Los Angeles Police Department is reportedly examining potential criminal charges stemming from the incident, and the university’s conduct proceedings for both organizations have no set end date.
The interim ban follows a trend of other University of California campuses halting the activities of Students for Justice in Palestine. UC Santa Cruz placed the group under suspension until 2026, with UC Irvine enacting a restriction through 2029. At UC San Diego, the organization faced charges related to campus disruptions last spring and did not renew its official status for the current academic year.
Kira Stein, who leads the Jewish Faculty Resilience Group at UCLA, welcomed the move. “We have a long list of SJP violations of university rules and regulations that we have been sharing with the administration,” Stein said, asserting that the group’s actions amount to “intimidation, harassment, and inflammatory disinformation.”
Meanwhile, the union representing university law enforcement encouraged UCLA officials “to demand prosecution” for any illegal conduct and emphasized that administrative responses should deter incidents that cross legal boundaries.
“Universities cannot allow lawlessness under the guise of activism,” said Wade Stern, who serves as the president of the Federated University Police Officers’ Association.
The two student activist groups swiftly responded to UCLA’s decision on social media, describing the action as “crazy” and encouraging supporters to closely watch for updates.
In prior statements online, the organizations accused the UC system of “militarizing” campuses to stifle demonstrations, and they repeated calls for the university to cut financial ties with certain funds, weapons manufacturers, and other holdings allegedly linked to Israel.
University leaders, however, have publicly affirmed they do not intend to pursue divestment.
