Los Angeles City Attorney’s Decision on Gaza Protest Arrests
The Los Angeles city attorney’s office announced on Friday that it will not pursue criminal charges against the majority of individuals arrested during large-scale protests at UCLA and USC last year, which centered around the Gaza conflict.
Overview of Arrests and Charges
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto stated that her office received over 300 referrals related to arrests from the demonstrations held in the spring of 2024. Out of these, only two individuals will face charges, while three others are slated for informal prosecutorial proceedings.
Details of the Charges
The individuals charged are Edan On and Matthew Katz, both implicated in incidents at UCLA. On, a pro-Israel protester, faces charges of battery and assault with a deadly weapon. Katz is charged with battery, false imprisonment, and resisting arrest. Most of these offenses are categorized as misdemeanors.
The Reasoning Behind the Filing Decisions
According to Feldstein Soto, the majority of cases were declined due to insufficient evidence. The UCLA Police Department referred 245 arrests, all of which were dismissed for lacking sufficient evidence. Additionally, the LAPD referred 93 arrests made at USC, which were also not pursued for the same reason.
Informal Processing for Select Cases
Three individuals—Ali Abuamouneh, Karla Maria Aguilar, and David Fischel—will proceed to city attorney hearings. Abuamouneh and Aguilar were arrested at USC, while Fischel was taken into custody at UCLA.
Context of the Protests
The decision follows a tumultuous year marked by heightened debates surrounding the Gaza conflict, specifically after raids by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, which resulted in significant casualties and raised tensions worldwide. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that Israel’s subsequent military operations have claimed over 51,000 Palestinian lives.
Reactions to the City Attorney’s Decision
The decision to not file charges against the vast majority of protesters was met with approval by some groups. The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) welcomed the decision to file charges against On, emphasizing the need for accountability for assaults on nonviolent demonstrators.
“For far too long, our communities have demanded accountability for the brutal assault on peaceful, largely student-led demonstrators,” stated Dina Chehata, a CAIR-LA civil rights managing attorney. “This filing is an important step, but it is only the first step.”
On the other hand, Amelia Jones, a professor at USC, praised Feldstein Soto for her decision to not charge most protesters, asserting that this acknowledges the right to protest as a vital aspect of free speech.
“[Her] decision not to file criminal charges on the vast majority of students arrested by LAPD… ratifies the student and faculty right to protest as a fundamental and lawful ‘exercise of speech,’” said Jones in her statement.
Conclusion
As the city attorney’s office reflects on the referrals and arrests, Feldstein Soto commended her team for their thorough evaluation of the cases, underscoring the importance of the rule of law in these matters.