On Wednesday, Feb. 12, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk announced the interim suspension of the Students for Justice in Palestine, or SJP, and Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine, or GSJP, due to the organizations’ involvement in an incident that occurred outside of UC Regent Jonathan “Jay” Sures’ home.
Last week, officials reported that the members associated with the student groups “harassed Mr. Sures and members of his family outside his home” as well as “surrounded the vehicle of a Sures family member and prevented that family member’s free movement.” They were also said to be “vandalizing the Sures home with red colored handprints on the outer walls of the home” while repeating “Jonathan Sures you will pay, until you see your final day,” according to an official email statement that was sent out to students on Wednesday.
Sures, who is Jewish, serves as the Vice Chairman of United Talent Agency. Sures commented that his family was “rattled” by the situation to the Daily Bruin.
In the emailed statement, Frenk said, “…as your chancellor, I can commit to you that whenever an act of violence is directed against any member of the university community, UCLA will not turn a blind eye. This is a responsibility I take most seriously.”
On Feb. 13, SJP and GSJP issued an Instagram statement rejecting Frenk’s accusations that student protesters committed acts of violence against UCLA.
“Not only does Frenk fail to describe any violence, but Jonathan Sures is a millionaire UC Regent who invests our university’s fund in war, occupation, and genocide. He is not a member of our community.”
“We know many in our community are tired, scared, and outraged by UCLA’s hypocrisy. We call upon you to resist this disingenuous invocation of ‘violence.’ Regardless of the official status of our organizations, we will never stop fighting for full divestment from the Zionist regime,” said SJP in the Instagram statement.
The university is keeping the student groups under administrative review for possible violations of UCLA’s student group conduct code alongside their suspension remaining in effect during the review.
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Photographed by Andrew Diaz/Daily Bruin
