Two Individuals Arrested During Encampments Documentary Screening at UCLA
Title: UCLA Protest Screening of ‘The Encampments’ Highlights Ongoing Campus Tensions Over Palestine Solidarity
On the evening of April 30, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) became the latest flashpoint in a nationwide wave of protest activity centered on campus-based pro-Palestine advocacy. Two individuals were detained as UCLA police in full riot gear disrupted an attempted outdoor screening of the new documentary The Encampments (2025), held by the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
The film, which is now screening across the country, chronicles student mobilizations in solidarity with Palestine — starting from the high-profile protest encampment at Columbia University in 2024 and extending to other college campuses, including UCLA. The attempted screening on April 30 coincided with the one-year anniversary of UCLA’s own Gaza solidarity encampment at Royce Quad, where tensions last year escalated after violence from pro-Israel counter-protesters.
Timeline of the Screening and Police Intervention
SJP’s call for a commemorative screening of The Encampments initially designated Royce Quad as the venue. However, earlier in the day on April 30, UCLA’s campus police announced on social media that the area would be off-limits until the next morning, effectively blocking access to the original site. Student organizers relocated first to Wilson Plaza, then to Bruin Plaza, in an attempt to hold the screening without university interference.
Despite these adjustments, police arrived around 9:00 p.m. and began clearing the event. Videos circulated on social media show dozens of heavily equipped campus officers confronting the student group. According to multiple reports, two attendees were detained, one of whom was reportedly taken to the hospital for injuries. It remains unclear whether those detained are UCLA students, and campus authorities have not yet issued a full statement.
Escalating Institutional Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Groups
Tuesday night’s event is the latest in a string of confrontations between UCLA and student pro-Palestinian advocacy groups. Earlier this year, the university suspended both the undergraduate SJP chapter and the Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine chapter following a controversial protest outside the home of UCLA Regent Jonathan Sures. The activists, accusing Sures of influencing pro-Israel university policy, reportedly left red handprints and banners on the property.
In March, UCLA’s Office of Student Conduct proposed an indefinite ban on SJP altogether, alongside a four-year suspension of the graduate chapter. Faculty and community groups have criticized these actions as efforts to silence student activism.
The Encampments: A Documentary of Protest and Resistance
The Encampments, directed by independent filmmakers embedded in protest sites, takes a raw, on-the-ground look at the 2024 Columbia encampment and the students who organized and participated. Through first-hand footage and testimonials — including from since-expelled PhD candidate Grant Miner and jailed negotiations leader Mahmoud Khalil — the film paints a stark picture of institutional power, student solidarity, and police suppression.
Narrated by Maya Abdallah, a current UCLA student and activist, the documentary also includes moments from last year’s UCLA encampment. Viewers gain insight into what organizers argue was a disproportionate response from authorities and systemic attempts to silence dissenting students. The film’s release has been praised by advocacy groups but has ignited controversy among detractors who accuse it of bias and provoking campus unrest.
A Divided Campus and National Movement
The events at UCLA mirror a broader national trend — with college campuses serving as highly visible battlegrounds in the discourse around U.S. policy regarding Israel and Palestine. The escalation at UCLA reflects what many see as the repression of freedom of expression in academic settings, especially regarding criticism of Israeli government actions.
While university officials cite security and policy concerns, critics argue the bans and police responses are part of a larger campaign to suppress pro-Palestine voices under the guise of neutrality or order. Meanwhile, student groups continue to push for divestment from companies tied to military or political operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Looking Ahead
As The Encampments gains a wider audience and reignites public discussion around last year’s student-led protests, institutions like UCLA face mounting pressure to address how they engage with student activism and navigate complex geopolitical discourse.
The detainment of two participants at the April 30 screening is just the latest incident in a continuously unfolding narrative about protest, free speech, and institutional accountability. Whether UCLA will continue to silence or begin to engage with its student activists remains an open question — one that student organizers and national observers alike will be watching closely.
In the meantime, screenings of The Encampments promise to keep the conversation alive, ensuring that what happened on campuses in 2024 remains not just a memory, but a rallying cry for continued advocacy and reflection.