"True Bruin Values": How UCLA Justified a Crackdown on Protest

"More than a year after the Gaza encampments, the university's newly enforced "time, place, and manner" restrictions have spread to any sort of contentious content on campus. Nation Fund for Independent Journalism, which is dedicated to highlighting the best of student journalism. For more StudentNation, check out our archiveor learn more about the program here. StudentNation is made possible through generous funding from The Puffin Foundation. If you're a student and you have an article idea, please send pitches and questions to [email protected].For the last six years, Eric Martin spent nearly every day at the University of California, Los Angeles, teaching theology to undergraduates."

""While I was banned, I continued to receive e-mails about a workplace violence prevention training," said Martin, who said he was present at UCLA encampments to provide support for his students. "It was ironic, because I got fired precisely for trying to prevent violence at my workplace. It was just that the violence came from the admin and the police. Apparently, trying to stop someone from firing a gun at students doesn't count as violence prevention," he said. "I was arrested while in the encampment-while I was standing there, pleading with police officers not to open fire on my students.""

UCLA expanded enforcement of "time, place, and manner" restrictions to cover a wide range of contentious campus expression. Eric Martin, a theology lecturer who taught undergraduates for six years, received a FedEx-delivered 146-page Notice of Intent to Dismiss and a campus ban after participating in Palestine Solidarity Encampments calling for divestment from Israel. Martin said he was present to support students, was arrested while pleading with police officers not to open fire, and described his termination as punishment for trying to prevent violence. Encampments included professors, faculty, teaching assistants, and students. The Nation Fund for Independent Journalism and The Puffin Foundation are mentioned in connection with StudentNation.

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