A UCLA student sues the university after being attacked by pro-Palestinian activists

The lawsuit against the university accuses it of engaging in unchecked harassment, intimidation and violence against minority students.

The lawsuit comes in the wake of widespread protests and encampments on U.S. college campuses fueled by anger and frustration over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Violence, vandalism, arrests, and disruptions to education have plagued college campuses, creating a hostile learning environment.

The intended message was for the university to divest from companies allied with Israel and express support for a ceasefire, but Jewish and non-Jewish students reported discrimination and violence.

On April 26, Milagro Jones and an African-American Christian student were trying to pass through an illegal camp when protesters mistook him for an “Israeli agitator” and blocked his path.

“They attacked me with open arms and searched me with their bodies. They put their arms together, pushed each other, pushed each other and came into my space,” Jones recalled. To protect himself, Jones sat on the floor surrounded by about 30 students, who held him there for more than an hour.

In another incident, Jones was filming the camp when angry protesters called him a Zionist and threatened to shoot him. They pushed him away from the camp, grabbed his phone and smashed it on the sidewalk.

Jones says the incidents were ignored by the university, pointing to a broader pattern of anti-Semitism and racism that extends beyond the student-run camps to UCLA’s administration and faculty. Jones says the university reached an agreement with the protesters, allowing them to control who could pass through the camp, which led to discrimination based on appearance.

Jones explains that when the encampments were first established, the university made an agreement with the anti-Semitism protesters where they could decide who could and could not be on the grounds, which allowed them to discriminate against students based on appearance.

“It definitely didn’t start off so calm. “From the first day they set up camp, there was a system in place where to get in you had to have stickers or badges or someone to vouch for you… and they determined it all by looking at you, by looking at your face,” Jones explained.

If a student looked Jewish, he was forced to denounce Zionism in order to pass. “They discriminated against me and I wasn’t even Jewish. Just by looking at me, they decided I looked Jewish.”

Jones argues that UCLA’s actions, or lack thereof, allowed discrimination against students based on religious, ethnic and political views. “The university should have stepped up and disbanded the camp. Instead, they allowed the situation to get worse and worse to the point where Eleanor (a pro-Israel student) was beaten unconscious.”

This is not the first incident of anti-Semitism and racism at UCLA. Jones has faced discrimination over the past two years, including filing a Title IX report last quarter on behalf of a Jewish student.

His current lawsuit alleges that the University of California, Los Angeles permitted, incited, and pacified violent protests, thereby violating California civil rights laws. If successful, the lawsuit could highlight a pattern in which the University of California allows discrimination and bullying based on race, religion and perceived political beliefs, which could impact how universities across the country deal with such issues.

Jones is not protected by the university and has been ostracized by friends who have posted videos about him. University lecturers have threatened to flunk him, and the registry office has delayed his graduation.

Jones, on the other hand, found support among the counterprotesters. Attending their rallies, he encountered music and positivity. He was welcomed into their community, attending Hillel and Chabad Shabbat dinners and being invited to the homes of Jewish students to celebrate Shabbat.

Israeli students shared their experiences, family, and life in Israel. This support strengthened his determination to fight anti-Semitism and open dialogue.

Jones’ journey highlights the need for universities to protect all students and create an environment of inclusion and respect. His lawsuit against UCLA aims to expose the discrimination he and others have faced and push for systemic changes to prevent such incidents in the future.

Through his own experiences, Jones emphasizes the importance of approaching conflicts with an open mind and heart, advocating for peace and understanding.