Video footage of the attack by counterprotesters against pro-Palestinian protestors at UCLA in the early morning of May 1, 2024. CalMatters reporter Sergio Olmos captured the confrontation for about two hours. For the first hour, police officers did not intervene. Video by Sergio Olmos, CalMatters
As counterprotesters tore at barricades, threw fireworks, and beat and pepper sprayed pro-Palestine protesters at UCLA overnight Tuesday, no law enforcement officers took action to stop the violence or made any arrests. In stark contrast, by tonight, UC Police declared that anyone who remains in the “unlawful” encampment would be arrested.
The reason for such a mixed response from law enforcement: haphazard adherence to UC President Michael Drake’s 2021 UC Campus Safety Plan.
Encampments at a growing number of universities across the state and nation are sparking battles between students’ free speech and campus policies against trespassing and obstructing operations. For the University of California system, the encampments at five campuses are a test of newly implemented campus policing reforms meant to address systemic racism post-2020.
Drake’s safety plan states: “The University will reinforce existing guidelines that minimize police presence at protests, follow de-escalation methods in the event of violence and seek non-urgent mutual aid first from UC campuses before calling outside law enforcement agencies.”
The plan was designed to deter potential violence — and reduce a police role in campus protests. But now, people are questioning why law enforcement did not break up any of the physical assaults or otherwise intervene as violence escalated at the Los Angeles campus. According to a statement Drake released today, there were at least 15 injuries and one hospitalization.
The UC president has ordered a review of UCLA’s “mutual aid response” and UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said he plans to “dismantle (the encampment) at the appropriate time.”
“My office has requested a detailed accounting from the campus about what transpired in the early morning hours today,” Block said today. “But some confusion remains. Therefore, we are also ordering an independent external review of both UCLA’s planning and actions, and the effectiveness of the mutual aid response.”
UC lecturers were quick to call for Block’s resignation, citing the mismanagement of police and security response to the overnight violence.
“Chancellor Block has refused to meet with protesters to discuss their interests; instead he has created an environment that has escalated tensions and failed to take meaningful action to prevent the violence that occurred last night,” the UC lecturers’ statement read.
Counterprotesters began setting off fireworks around 10:30 p.m., and later, armed with pepper and bear spray, physically attacked those residing in the pro-Palestine encampment. During this time, university-hired, unarmed security guards and campus public safety aides watched the scene but did not stop the attacks. By about 1:30 a.m., Los Angeles Police and the California Highway Patrol arrived, after the chancellor called them to assist security guards and UC police. The officers did not break up the violence. Instead, they advanced a line every few minutes to push the counterprotesters out of the area. Some of the counterprotesters who remained, however, continued their assaults.
At about 4 a.m., a small group of student journalists for the Daily Bruin, including Christopher Buchanan, a student fellow for the CalMatters College Journalism Network, were confronted by a group of counterprotesters who began berating them. They targeted the staff’s news editor, calling her names, and blocked the journalists’ route to the Daily Bruin office. One shined a strobe light into Buchanan’s face while others attacked him as he fell to the ground.
“After I was struck and debilitated, I was surrounded by four to seven counterprotesters who proceeded to punch and kick my head and torso for thirty seconds to a minute,” Buchanan said. “I didn’t sustain any internal injuries, but I was badly bruised on the body and face.”
Buchanan said this all happened within earshot of CHP officials, who did nothing to intervene.
Students and government officials are decrying UCLA’s response. UCLA refused to provide interviews or answer questions about their policing response.
California Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democrat whose district includes UCLA, issued a statement condemning the violence against pro-Palestine protesters.
“The horrific acts of violence against UCLA students and demonstrators that occurred on campus last night are abhorrent and have no place in Los Angeles or in our democracy,” Zbur said. “No matter how strongly one may disagree with or be offended by the anti-Israel demonstrators’ messages, tactics, or goals, violence is never acceptable and those responsible must be held accountable.”
In the past few days, UC Irvine and UCLA have declared their campus encampment protests illegal and in violation of the state education code against non-UC use of university property. Many pro-Palestine student advocates see this position as an attempt to disrupt their advocacy.
In responding to the encampments, the UC, unlike some universities, has avoided an aggressive law enforcement response. Police have not arrested anyone or used tear gas. The UC Campus Safety plan, however, has not been uniformly followed at each campus.
UC Irvine appeared to ignore the campus safety plan. When an encampment was erected on April 29, the university immediately called in the UC police department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and the police forces of Irvine, Costa Mesa and Newport. Officers in riot gear barricaded the encampment entrance.
UC Irvine spokesperson Tom Vasich described the decision to involve five law enforcement departments as “a standard response” for situations where the campus needs support while simultaneously describing the protest as a “very peaceful environment.” He attributed the police response to potential trespassing violations from people not affiliated with the university.
“This isn’t a free speech issue, this is a trespassing issue,” Vasich said.
Sara, a UC Irvine student studying psychological sciences who only gave her first name in fear of retaliation for participating in the protest, said that at around 9 a.m. on Monday, law enforcement prevented students from entering the encampment and giving protesters water.
Despite police pushback, she said students and bystanders later created barricades around their encampment, allowing students to enter the area and receive supplies. “The students here all know the risks,” Sara said. “But regardless, they stood their ground and will continue to stand their ground until our demands are met.”
UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a Monday night statement that police would no longer engage with the protesters, and hours later police cleared out. Gillman promised to work with students to find a different location “that is appropriate and non-disruptive.”
How the UC plan is supposed to ensure safety
The UC Campus Safety Plan is being put to the test amid heightened tensions between pro-Palestine groups calling for the UC to financially divest from companies with ties to Israel, and pro-Israel groups counterprotesting and calling the actions of those in the encampments anti-semitic.
The UC Office of the President released a statement on April 26 rejecting demands for divestment.
“The University of California has consistently opposed calls for boycotts against and divestment from Israel,” the statement said. “While the University affirms the right of our community members to express diverse viewpoints, a boycott of this sort impinges on the academic freedom of our students and faculty and the unfettered exchange of ideas on our campuses.”
President Drake’s office refused multiple requests from CalMatters to answer questions about UC’s response to campus encampment protests.
The UC’s policing reforms came after the system faced several high-profile instances of excessive force in response to student advocacy on campuses. In 2011, the Occupy Wall Street protests at UC Davis drew international attention when peaceful activists were pepper sprayed by the university’s police department. In the end, students won a $1 million settlement from UC Davis.
In 2020, racial justice organizations and Black student unions at the UC’s nine undergraduate campuses led protests over the police-custody murder of George Floyd, and to cast a light on other Black Americans killed by law enforcement officers.
Their activism elevated negative experiences that some students of color reported with campus police. Students and employees demonstrated against racial profiling and a lack of police transparency. Some pushed for reforms; others called for abolishing police on university campuses.
The 2021 safety plan instituted data dashboards, police advisory boards, mental health responders and professional accreditation for individual police departments. According to the UC’s director of community safety Jody Stiger, all 10 campuses are expected to put the plan into action — with the final, delayed step being professional accreditation for campus law enforcement agencies — by the end of this year.
The UC Cops Off Campus Coalition, composed of UC students and faculty, has criticized the safety plan for not acknowledging the structural biases of police forces, and only increasing the scope of policing power.
UC Riverside Black Studies professor and faculty coalition member Dylan Rodríguez described the Campus Safety Plan as largely reactionary. He said it is the UC’s attempt to quell a push for police abolition in the wake of the UC’s own crises and Floyd’s murder.
“It’s a response to a period of time in which there are deep questions, fundamental and abolitionist questions, about whether campuses should have fully armed, militarized and, sometimes, riot-gear equipped and SWAT team-trained police officers on their campuses,” Rodríguez said.
The stated aim of UC’s tiered response is to use several non-sworn responders in calls for emergencies that don’t require police. Relying on alternatives to police allows campuses to respond to students in crisis who require mental health support or intervention. The plan also establishes public safety officers to patrol residence halls on foot, escort students across campus at night, provide security for events and diffuse unsafe behavior.
In an interview with CalMatters before this week’s violence, Stiger praised the increase of unarmed security guards and guidance against a police presence at protests. Police were not called to the scene during recent labor strikes, nor for earlier protests on both sides of the Gaza war.
“In almost a majority of those on every campus, you don’t see any police. You might see maybe one or two that are just in the area, but you don’t see a major police presence,” Stiger said.
Protests Escalate on UC Campuses
Late Tuesday, the university delivered a formal letter to UCLA’s Divest Coalition declaring the encampment an unlawful assembly in violation of campus policy. Chancellor Block put out a statement saying the university removed demonstrators’ barricades blocking entrances to specific buildings, and warned that students could face suspension or expulsion.
Campus police chiefs at UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine refused several requests for comment from CalMatters.
The UC Student Association — systemwide student representatives — published a statement on April 29 in solidarity with students protesting for “Free Palestine” and condemning the law enforcement response.
“We demand that the UC, at a minimum, allow students to exercise their freedom of speech,” the statement read. “We denounce any use of police force to silence us.”
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Christopher Buchanan, Li Khan and Hugo Rios contributed to this story. All authors are fellows with the College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. CalMatters higher education coverage is supported by a grant from the College Futures Foundation.
Anthony David Maillelle Painter 1988-2024 Athasbascan Native
Anthony was born in Bethel, Alaska. He lived his whole life in EurekA. He passed away unexpectedly on April 27, 2024 to begin his journey.
He was a very happy joyful person and a gifted artist.He loved fishing with his family on the Klamath river. He enjoyed tattooing friends and family.
He was the son of Matthew and Susan Painter. The brother of Darla Marshall (Emil), Susie Astor (Mick), Robert McGahey, Anita Crutchfield, Misty Watkins, and Pride Painter.
He also leaves behind his birthmother, Sharon Painter of Fairbanks, Alaska. Brothers and sisters, Jeffrey Painter, Bradley Painter, Desirie Painter and Sherri Painter of Fairbanks, Alaska.
A viewing to say goodbye will be held at Paul’s Chapel on May 6, 2024 at 10 o’clock. Directly after will be a burial ceremony for Anthony at the Trinidad Cemetery.
Pallbearers: Pride Painter, Matthew Swanson (mattkat), Peter Norton, Lonnie Dean, Richard Dean, Alkenny Dean, Delmar Allen Jr, Jeffrey Painter, Bradley Painter, Joe Marshall, Jude Marshall, Robert Woods, Sebastian Swanson, Ramiro, Calvin, Daniel, David Gonzales.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Anthony Painter’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
KRCR reporter Ademi Ruiz is loaded into a police van after her arrest Tuesday morning | File
All sides involved are still processing the events of the past week after the Occupy Cal Poly Humboldt’s presence on campus was ended early Tuesday morning by a multi-agency show of force that ended in 32 arrests, at last count.
On Wednesday, Cal Poly Humboldt released the breakdown of those arrests:
13 students
1 faculty member
18 non-students
Adelmi Ruiz | KRCR
Notable among those non-students — as we noted in our initial eye-witness report Tuesday morning — was Adelmi Ruiz, a Eureka bureau reporter for television station KRCR out of Redding. Ruiz arrest has raised eyebrows since, as a member of the press, she was doing her job by covering the high-profile law enforcement operation. Strengthening that case is the fact that Ruiz was livestreaming to her station’s social media accounts at the time she was detained and placed in flex cuffs by officers.
Earlier today, KRCR posted the video from Ruiz’s livestream, which you can watch below.
In the clip below, hear Ruiz speak with her KRCR colleague Mike Mangas about her experience on campus and the treatment she received from law enforcement, including Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal, during her arrest.
The Outpost has reached out to KRCR seeking a response to Ruiz’s arrest. We will update when we hear back. Ruiz herself got back to us, though. “The only thing I have to say is that it was a very upsetting experience but I am grateful for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office who acted quickly to get me out of jail,” she said.
The following message, signed by Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson, Jr., and several high-ranking members of his administration, was shared today with the campus community:
Dear Students and Colleagues,
As we all come to terms with the recent events on campus, it is important to recognize the emotional impact they have taken on us, individually and collectively. We want to acknowledge that this has been an extremely challenging week for Cal Poly Humboldt. We are hurting within our campus community and beyond, and we have much work in front of us to reset, rebuild, and heal. This will take time. We will do this together.
The unlawful actions that took place this past week stand in contrast to our values and beliefs—and can never happen again. We unequivocally support the rights of students and others to assemble peacefully, to protest, and to have their voices heard. We must also recognize the difference between free speech and unlawful activities that put others and protesters themselves at risk. This is something we simply cannot tolerate. As we call for peace, we must all practice it.
It is often the case that in extreme challenges communities come together. We have been deeply moved by the hundreds of staff and faculty who went well beyond their standard roles on campus in order to support the extensive needs of our community, and to the many organizations, state agencies, tribal governments, and law enforcement agencies who advised us and rushed to our aid in our time of great need. We are very grateful. This is who we are as a community—one that has a shared commitment and dedication to those we serve: our students.
As we get to the difficult work of reckoning with what has happened, we must also look to the future. We have already begun assessing the state of the campus and working to clean up the buildings and grounds. The campus will certainly remain closed through the end of the semester, likely much longer. Modified plans are being made for Commencement ceremonies at off-campus locations. We will continue to share updates, and more information will be available in the coming days.
We want to encourage you all to care for yourselves and others during this time—and to continue to use intellect and reason to challenge the status quo and make the world a better place. Our hope is that you are able to engage in meaningful dialogue with respect, empathy, and humanity. Lastly, let us use this opportunity to remind ourselves, our community and beyond of our shared vision at Cal Poly Humboldt: to be a campus for those who seek above all else to improve the global human condition and our relationship with the environment.
We know we will get there—together.
Sincerely,
Tom Jackson, Jr.
President
Jenn Capps
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Sherie Gordon
Vice President for Administrative Affairs
Chrissy Holliday
Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Success
Frank Whitlatch
Vice President for University Advancement
Mark Johnson
Chief of Staff
Adrienne Colegrove-Raymond
Special Assistant for Tribal Relations & Community Engagement
Nick Pettit
Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics & Campus Recreation
Here’s the best video tutorial the Outpost could immediately find on the daVinci Xi.
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Press release from Providence St. Joseph Hospital:
At
Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka, our commitment to delivering
exceptional patient care is exemplified by our recent investment and
integration of the da Vinci Xi robotic surgery system. This
cutting-edge technology not only marks a significant advancement in
surgical capabilities but also demonstrates our dedication to
improving patient outcomes and experiences.
The daVinci Xi at rest. Photo: Providence St. Joseph.
Investment
in Innovation:
Leap
forward in surgical capabilities: This advanced technology signifies
a leap forward in our surgical capabilities, combining cutting-edge
features with enhanced surgical precision to transform patient care.
Enhanced
precision: The da Vinci Xi robotic surgery system is equipped with
articulating instruments and a high-definition 3D camera, allowing
surgeons to perform complex procedures with unparalleled precision.
This technology mimics the surgeon’s hand movements in real-time,
significantly improving the accuracy and safety of surgeries.
Innovative
support for surgeons: The da Vinci incorporates Firefly Fluorescence
Imaging technology and uses near-infrared imaging to provide
surgeons with real-time, clear visualization of blood flow and
tissue perfusion. This feature is crucial for identifying critical
anatomical structures and ensuring precise dissections, thus
enhancing surgical safety and outcomes.
Impact
on The Providence Patient Experience:
Reduced
recovery time: Patients benefit from significantly shorter hospital
stays and a faster return to normal activities, surpassing
traditional surgery methods.
Decreased
discomfort and complications: The precision of robotic surgery
reduces postoperative pain, blood loss, and risk of infections,
facilitating a smoother recovery.
Expanded
surgical options: With capabilities for procedures such as
cholecystectomy, hernia repairs, and potentially more complex
surgeries like colectomies and urologic operations, more patients
can access minimally invasive options for a variety of conditions.
daVinci powered up at the St. Joe’s ribbon-cutting yesterday. Photo: Providence St. Joseph.
The University continues the cleanup and recovery process following the illegal occupation of two campus buildings and surrounding areas since Monday, April 22.
Facilities teams are working to clear Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East of garbage, and are beginning to paint over graffiti on the exterior of vandalized buildings as University Police continue to assess the scope of the damage.
The University can confirm that University Police have arrested 32 individuals since the early morning operation by law enforcement. Of those arrested, 13 are students, 1 is a faculty member, and 18 are non-students. The operation was conducted without incident and no reported injuries.
The University continues the hard closure of campus through May 10. Areas at or beyond a barricade, or in and around Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East, remain closed off.
The University will hold a modified in-person Commencement with local ceremonies on Saturday, May 11, 2024. More details will be announced later this week.
Donna Yutzy cleans the gutters of her home from flammable debris in the Magalia area of Butte County on Nov. 4, 2023. State law prohibits the use of landscaping plants and any flammable materials within a five-foot radius of the house. Photo by Manuel Orbregozo for Calmatters.
Spend any time thinking or talking about insurance in California these days and you’re bound to hear the word “mitigation.”
Fire officials, lawmakers, insurance agents and others are asking homeowners to help lower the risk of devastating wildfires by making improvements to their properties — in some cases at great expense — and often in the context of trying to hang on to their insurance policies. The state has spent about $3.7 billion on forest management in the past seven years. Communities, fire districts and others are doing their part, too.
But some insurance companies citing growing risks and costs have paused or stopped writing new policies in California, causing a crisis of home-insurance affordability and availability. Some homeowners have seen their premiums spike or are being priced out, while others have been forced to turn to the ever-growing FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort that offers less coverage but higher insurance premiums anyway.
As Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara rolls out his plan to try to reverse that trend, three state lawmakers are pushing for mitigation to be taken into account when insurers set premiums or when they decide whether to offer policies at all. Or they want mitigation to be more effectively tracked and strategized.
“We believe that if you do the homework, you should get the credit,” said state Sen. Josh Becker, the Democrat representing Menlo Park. “As a state, we’re doing that homework.”
Becker’s staff cites the billions of dollars the state has spent on reducing fuel and managing vegetation since 2017, when wildfires consumed many parts of California. The sum doesn’t include other spending on fire engines, air tankers and increasing staff for Cal Fire, which has added about 4,500 positions in the past decade.
A bill authored by Becker seeks to incorporate mitigation into insurance companies’ underwriting decisions — when they consider whether to write or renew policies. Senate Bill 1060 awaits a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
One of the regulations Lara has unveiled as part of his plan to try to fix the state’s insurance market involves allowing insurers to use catastrophe models in rate-making, which includes taking mitigation into account. But some say that’s not enough to address the availability of insurance.
Former state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones recently told CalMatters that Becker’s bill is needed specifically for underwriting because the insurance commissioner’s authority is limited to rate-making.
“Local, state and federal governments are spending billions of dollars in forest treatments, so homeowners ought to see a benefit,” Jones said. “That’s not happening now, but should happen.”
Wildfire mitigation and risk
Studies show that mitigation is reducing wildfire risks. A recent study by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found that structural modifications can reduce wildfire risk by 40%, and, when combined with vegetation modifications, can reduce risk by 75%. A subsequent Moody’s study found that utility Southern California Edison’s actions to harden its power grid reduced the risk of catastrophic wildfire losses by 75% to 80%.
But insurance-industry experts have concerns about Becker’s bill. For one thing, they say incorporating mitigation into underwriting shifts more financial risk to insurers.
In addition, they say they already use models that account for mitigation.
Sheri Lee Scott, an actuary for a Milliman Property & Casualty practice in Orange County, said the bill is yet another regulation that could “exacerbate” the insurance crisis.
“Insurance companies are trying their best to incorporate (mitigation) already,” Scott said, pointing to a recent state regulation directing insurers to incorporate mitigation into determining premiums — which Scott wrote in a report “presents tremendous challenges for insurers in terms of compliance and the potential erosion of adequate rates for wildfire risk.”
The insurance commissioner said his office started enforcing that rule on considering mitigation last year, but homeowners, insurance agents, fire chiefs and other lawmakers say the different ways everyone is trying to reduce wildfire risk isn’t making enough of a dent in the state’s insurance crisis.
Bernard Molloy, fire chief of Murrieta, said during a public workshop hosted by the Insurance Department last week that “residents don’t receive credit” for the “tremendous amount of work” they put into trying to reduce wildfire risk. Jorge Escobar, a Bay Area resident, said during the same workshop that he had just asked the Moraga fire district whether insurance companies are taking mitigation into account. “The answer was, surprisingly, no… Why isn’t this being mandated?” he asked.
Tina Purwin, an insurance agent in Northridge, told CalMatters her clients get notices that they’re not being renewed despite taking action to avoid wildfire risk.
Donna Yutzy’s home in the Magalia area of Butte County on Nov. 4, 2023. State law prohibits the use of landscaping plants and any flammable materials within a five-foot radius of the house. Photo by Manuel Orbegozo for CalMatters
“Carriers are being ultra picky,” Purwin said. “They’re looking for any way to not take the risks.”
At another public hearing on insurance issues last week — by the Little Hoover Commission, the independent state oversight agency — Nevada County Supervisor Heidi Hall said the Sierra Nevada-area residents she represents are spending “tens of thousands of dollars” on hardening their homes, and that the “county itself has put in millions of dollars, with the help of Cal Fire, to put in fire breaks.”
Yet, she said “we’re not seeing discounts from insurance companies. They’re still leaving.”
Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, a Democrat representing Chino, authored another bill related to mitigation. Assembly Bill 2983 calls for the Insurance Department and the California Office of Emergency Services to work together on figuring out whether investments in mitigation are helping insurance availability.
Project assessments would have to be published on state websites. And a representative of the Insurance Department would be added to the board of the California Wildfire Mitigation Program.
“Some people think (mitigation is already taken into account), some don’t,” Rodriguez said. “We need to bring everyone together. We need to talk about it.”
Rodriguez’s staff said both the Insurance Department and the mitigation program appear to be open to the board-representative idea. The Insurance Department did not answer questions and the emergency services agency did not respond to questions in time for publication.
Earlier this month, the Assembly Insurance Committee approved AB 2983 and re-referred it to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
‘They should not be losing their insurance’
Another bill would require the Insurance Department to evaluate every three years whether to update its Safer from Wildfires regulation, which identifies steps property owners and officials can take to protect their homes and communities. The steps include installing fire-rated roofs, upgrading windows, removing combustible sheds and more. The department adopted the regulation in 2022 and says on its website that taking these measures “can help you save money on your insurance.”
Assemblymember Damon Connolly, a Democrat representing San Rafael, authored AB 2416, which he said would “lock in periodic updates to the program so it’s most effectively serving consumers.”
Connolly said his staff is in talks with the Insurance Department, which he said is open to discussing his bill. He also said he has made amendments to address insurance-industry concerns. The Insurance Department did not answer questions about the bill.
The assemblymember also said that not only should property owners get discounts when they take the steps outlined in the regulation, “I would say if consumers are doing these steps, they should not be losing their insurance.”
The Assembly Insurance Committee has referred his bill to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Lawmakers representing California in Congress are trying to make mitigation measures matter, too. U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, the Democrat who represents Napa and other counties, said during a press conference last week in Santa Rosa that his bill, HR 7849, would establish a program for individual homeowners in certain areas to receive grants of up to $10,000, as well as tax credits for homeowners and businesses, for mitigation.
The legislation, co-authored by U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, the Republican who represents rural Northern California, was introduced in March and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Thompson said that as he and his colleagues tried to figure out how they could help on a national level, “what we heard repeatedly from insurance companies was: Make sure there’s disaster resilience in building, that homeowners (are doing) everything necessary to protect their homes.”
