CFT Leaders Call on UCLA Chancellor Gene Block to Resign Following Violence on Campus

May 1, 2024 Media Contact

LOS ANGELES, CA – CFT President Jeff Freitas, UC-AFT President Katie Rodger, and CFT Universities Division Council President Mia McIver released the following statement calling for UCLA Chancellor Gene Block to resign:

“CFT and UC-AFT condemn the violent attack last night on the peaceful student solidarity encampment at UCLA as a criminal act. We also condemn the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), UCLA PD, and UCLA-hired private security for standing by without meaningful public safety intervention for hours while counter-protesters assaulted students with pepper spray, baseball bats, and fireworks.

“We call for the immediate resignation of Chancellor Gene Block for his failure of leadership. Chancellor Block has refused to meet with protestors 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.

“Violence has no place in any peaceful protest or demonstration. Every individual has the right to express their opinions and advocate for causes that they believe in through peaceful demonstration, without fear of violence or intimidation. We stand against all forms of Antisemitism and Islamophobia.

“Our college and university campuses can and should be places for peaceful advocacy for justice and human rights, and we call for dialogue and negotiation as an essential path towards resolution.

“We demand a thorough investigation by UCLA and the UC Office of the President (UCOP) which must conclude with accountability for those responsible for the violence and lack of response, and we call for a renewed administrative commitment to constructive dialogue with students, staff, and faculty at UCLA and all higher education campuses.”

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CFT – A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals represents 120,000 teachers, faculty, and school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education. It is the statewide affiliate of the AFT.