University of California, Santa Cruz – Suspension of Students for Justice in Palestine

Summary

In late May 2024, the University of California, Santa Cruz suspended the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine following protests connected to a pro‑Palestinian encampment and demonstrations over the war in Gaza. University officials said the organization had violated campus policies governing student organizations by helping organize and participate in actions that blocked campus access and disrupted university operations. The university’s disciplinary action removed the group’s status as a recognized student organization and barred it from privileges such as reserving campus space and operating under university sponsorship. The suspension remains in effect until September 14, 2026.

On May 20, 2024, pro‑Palestinian protesters moved their Gaza solidarity encampment and joined a strike by University of California academic workers. Teaching assistants and other academic employees walked out across several UC campuses, arguing that the university had failed to protect protesters’ rights during earlier demonstrations. At Santa Cruz, demonstrators also blocked the main entrance to campus at the base of the hill, stopping traffic and preventing vehicles from entering or leaving for extended periods.

Late on May 30, 2024, law enforcement officers from multiple agencies moved onto campus to clear the encampment and reopen the road after administrators said repeated requests to remove the blockade had not been followed. The operation continued into the early hours of May 31, when officers dismantled the protest campsite and arrested more than 120 people on charges including failure to disperse and unlawful assembly. Those cited included students, faculty members, and other protesters who remained at the site after authorities ordered the camp cleared.

Following the arrests, many of those cited were issued temporary campus bans under a California law that allows universities to withdraw permission for someone to remain on campus for up to two weeks. The bans barred those individuals from returning to campus during that period. The ACLU of Northern California filed a lawsuit on behalf of students and a professor, challenging the campus bans and the university’s response to the protests. The lawsuit sought an injunction to prevent the university from issuing similar bans without due process and a declaration that the bans were unlawful. More than a year after the arrests, only one person faced formal criminal charges related to the 122 arrests made during the encampment crackdown.