Jewish students sue UCLA, saying protesters blocked access to campus facilities

LOS ANGELES — Three Jewish UCLA students filed a federal lawsuit against the UC regents and several university officials on Wednesday, alleging that anti-Israeli protesters blocked them from crucial parts of the campus.

In the 74-page filing, the plaintiffs — two second-year law students and a sophomore history major — described UCLA as a “hotbed of antisemitism,” with activists carrying signs with threatening messages, chanting “Death to the Jews” and obstructing passage to campus facilities.

Lawyers for the students said pro-Palestinian protesters established checkpoints at their encampment on Royce Quad, providing entry only to those who condemned Israel.

“With the knowledge and acquiescence of UCLA officials, the activists enforced what was effectively a ‘Jew Exclusion Zone,’ segregating Jewish students and preventing them from accessing the heart of campus, including classroom buildings and the main undergraduate library,” the lawsuit said. “In many cases, the activists set up barriers and locked arms together, preventing those who refused to disavow Israel from passing through.”

The filing against the University of California comes roughly six weeks after demonstrators set up an encampment at UCLA, demanding that the university sever ties with Israel over its war in the Gaza Strip.

Lawyers for the three students said UCLA’s handling of the situation caused their clients to be denied of their right to free speech, their freedom to practice religion and equal access to educational facilities, among other things.

“If masked agitators had excluded any other marginalized group at UCLA, Gov. Newsom rightly would have sent in the National Guard immediately,” said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of the nonprofit Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which provided some of the legal representation in the case.

UCLA officials issued a statement saying they were aware of the lawsuit but had not yet been served.

“We will review and respond in due course,” the statement said. “UCLA remains committed to supporting the safety and well-being of the entire Bruin community.”