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UCLA anti-Israel protesters clash with police after blocking access to campus buildings
Police once again clashed with protesters at the University of California Los Angeles as anti-Israel demonstrations returned to campus.
Anti-Israel protesters rebuilt an encampment on the college grounds on Thursday, occupying space around Kerckhoff Patio.
Protesters erected wooden barriers and blocked access to a small portion of the campus. Officials warned demonstrators to clear the “unlawful assembly” but were rebuked.
Around noon, multiple police departments collaborated to swiftly quash the protests.
UCLA POLICE CHIEF REASSIGNED AFTER WIDELY CRITICIZED ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST RESPONSE
Anti-Israel protesters tried to hold space again on the UCLA campus. The protesters initially attempted to occupy an outdoor space and then aimed to take over Dodd Hall, a university building. (Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Footage showed law enforcement and protesters in various physical altercations.
“There is reasonable cause to find that demonstrators’ activities — including erecting barricades, establishing fortifications, and blocking access to parts of the campus and buildings — are disrupting campus operations,” said a statement from Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Becks and Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Safety Rick Braziel.
UCLA FALLS TO ANARCHY AFTER COUNTERPROTESTERS CONFRONT ANTI-ISRAELI ENCAMPMENT: ‘HORRIFIC ACTS OF VIOLENCE’
University of California Police secure Dodd Hall after clearing the area of anti-Israel protesters on the University of California, Los Angeles, campus. The protest coincided with a congressional hearing on campus protests where UCLA Chancellor Gene Block testified. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The statement continued, “Demonstrators have been informed that if they do not disperse, they will face arrest and possible disciplinary action, as well as an order to stay away from campus for 7 days.”
The latest round of protests coincided with UCLA Chancellor Gene Block’s appearance before the House Education Committee for a hearing on anti-semitism at U.S. universities.
“With the benefit of hindsight, we should have been prepared to immediately remove the encampment if and when the safety of our community was put at risk,” Block told the committee.
An anti-Israel protester holds a Palestinian flag in a demonstration at the University of California, Los Angeles, on May 23, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)
Tensions on UCLA campus reached their climax on April 30, when police stormed a much larger encampment and arrested over 200 individuals.
A further 40 people were arrested on May 6 and sporadic demonstrations have popped back up repeatedly since then.
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SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.
A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.
He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.
MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche
In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.
“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.
A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.
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A registered sex offender convicted in a child sex abuse material case is seeking elected office in California — launching a campaign for Fresno City Council amid fierce backlash and renewed questions about whether someone with his record should hold public office.
Rene Campos, a Fresno native required to register as a sex offender, has announced plans to run for the District 7 seat on the Fresno City Council.
Campos was charged in 2018 with possession of child sex abuse material, according to court records. He has said he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge and is now a registered sex offender.
His opponent, Nav Gurm, says the campaign has transformed what should be a local race focused on infrastructure and public safety into a national controversy.
Rene Campos in a 2018 booking photo related to a child sex abuse material possession case. Campos, now a registered sex offender, has launched a campaign for Fresno City Council. (State of California Department of Justice)
“His candidacy is a slap in the face to families and children in Fresno,” Gurm told Fox News Digital. “They deserve a councilmember who can show up at their schools and in their neighborhoods without restriction.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Campos defended his candidacy, arguing he has met all legal requirements.
“I satisfied every legal obligation imposed under the laws this state enacted for accountability and rehabilitation,” Campos said.
CONVICTED KILLER KEPT IN POLICE OVERSIGHT ROLE AS CITY COUNCIL DISMISSES CONCERNS OVER PUBLIC SAFETY
The entrance to Fresno City Hall in Fresno, California. The District 7 City Council seat is up for election amid controversy surrounding a registered sex offender candidate. (James Ward, Visalia Times-Delta via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
“If those same laws can be set aside when politically inconvenient, then we are not debating one candidacy — we are testing whether the rule of law is stable or selective. Democracy depends on consistent standards. When eligibility shifts under pressure, public confidence weakens. Voters decide elections — not political preference.”
Under California law, registered sex offenders are not automatically barred from seeking or holding local office as long as they meet voter registration and residency requirements.
But Gurm argues that legality does not equate to fitness for office.
CHILD PREDATOR DUBBED ‘MONSTER PARENTS FEAR MOST’ CLEARED FOR RELEASE THROUGH CALIFORNIA PAROLE PROGRAM
“While it may not be a legal disqualification, it’s a disqualification in practice,” he said. “If you can’t fully participate in school events, youth gatherings and community activities, you can’t fully do the job.”
Gurm is urging state lawmakers to amend eligibility standards.
“I urge the Fresno City Council and the California State Legislature to push forward legislation making lifetime sex offender registration an explicit disqualification for holding public office,” he said.
NEW JERSEY POLICE SERGEANT, FORMER DEM MAYOR ALLEGEDLY DRUGGED, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED CHILD HE MET ONLINE
Nav Gurm, a candidate for Fresno City Council District 7, has called on his opponent to withdraw from the race amid controversy. (Nav Gurm for Fresno City Council Campaign Team)
The backlash has extended beyond campaign opponents.
Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi said he believes voters will reject Campos and suggested he would oppose him taking office if elected.
“When it comes to the safety and welfare of our children, your past matters,” Karbassi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “So long as I am Council President, I will not permit him to be seated on the Fresno City Council.”
VICTIM FEARS FOR OTHERS AFTER CALIFORNIA PAROLE BOARD APPROVES RELEASE OF CONVICTED CHILD PREDATOR
It remains unclear what legal authority, if any, the council president would have to prevent an elected candidate from assuming office.
Outgoing Councilman Nelson Esparza, who currently represents District 7 and is termed out, also criticized the campaign.
“Regardless of any rehabilitation, he needs to find a different line of work,” Esparza told Fox News Digital. “So much of what I do in this district is for and with respect to our children and youth. I don’t see any reasonable way someone with registered sex offender status could effectively do this job.”
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Esparza noted that councilmembers regularly participate in school initiatives and that children frequently visit City Hall for tours and meetings. He said councilmembers are examining possible municipal policy changes and urging legislative action at the state level.
The District 7 seat will open when Esparza’s term expires. Candidates face a filing deadline in early March, and the primary election is scheduled for June.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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