Joint press release from Assemblymember Jim Wood and Senate president pro tem Mike McGuire:

This has been an extremely challenging week in Humboldt. Protesting peacefully in America is a fundamental, Constitutional right – it’s what our nation is about and, let’s be candid, protesting is part of the fabric of the North Coast.

That said, there is a clear line and it starts and stops with destruction of school property, vandalism, and antisemitic hate speech.

Last night, law enforcement moved to secure buildings and disperse individuals who remained on campus. No injuries were reported and the situation ended peacefully. With damage to the school estimated to be over $1 million, law enforcement will remain on campus in the coming days to ensure our campus community remains safe for all.

Let’s be clear – it’s going to take time to heal. Trust is earned, and it is going to take all sides coming together to have the difficult conversations needed to move forward. Cal Poly Humboldt must be a campus where all faiths and students of all backgrounds feel safe, respected, and included. This has not been the case for Humboldt’s Jewish students and others over the past week.

As protests continue in other parts of the state and nation, it’s important to remember that reasonable ideas don’t have to be in conflict – we can call for hostages to be immediately released and mourn every single one of the thousands of innocent lives lost; we can condemn violent actions and call for peace in the region. We’re stronger as a community when we learn from our differences and where we’ve been, and move forward together.