Can’t say we didn’t see this coming.
It appears that UCLA administrators, for the sake of public relations and deflection of accountability on their behalf, have decided that the best path moving forward in investigating the failures of how they responded to violence that took place on its campus during a pro-Palestinian protest is to “temporarily reassign” UCLA Police Chief John Thomas who has only been on the job for less than 6 months.
Excuse me if I’m baffled here but this word salad of this so-called “temporary reassignment” serves nothing more and nothing less than a poorly, choreographed dog and pony show that beneath the surface seems to hold harmless those who should be held accountable, collectively for UCLA’s failures.
I mean let’s be honest here, we’d be foolish if we discounted the notion that politics isn’t at play in the Chief’s temporary assignment but shouldn’t we all be alarmed by the seemingly less than, enthusiastic urgency to hold those accountable for instigating the violence at these protests, which has been largely attributed to pro-Israeli counter protestors which media, elected officials, including law enforcement officials, have seemingly and strategically failed to place any blame.
Shouldn’t the UCLA police chief be afforded due process because, by many credible accounts, including that of many others, it was UCLA Chancellor Gene Block who was summoned to testify to Congress this week about how said protests played a major role in obstructing law enforcement’s ability to address the violent protests?
Additionally, according to a statement released by the UCLA administration it stated and I quote:
On April 26, UCLA noted that they were “following University of California systemwide policy guidance, which directs us not to request law enforcement involvement preemptively, and only if absolutely necessary to protect the physical safety of our campus community.”
UCLA police chief reassigned after widely criticized anti-Israel protest response
With that being said and according to UCLA’s own statement issued a few days before the largely peaceful protests turned violent it was UCLA administrators that literally tied the Chief’s hands in responding appropriately and accordingly as the situation evolved.
In fact, and in hindsight, it appears that UCLA dismissed Chief Thomas’ suggestions that these encampments be cleared for the sake of “appearance” of allowing free speech and protests, despite the campus policy that prohibited encampments that invited said violence.
Keeping all this in mind it also appears that UCLA, according to Wade Stern, President of the Federated University Peace Officer Association questions whether UCLA complied with the guidelines to have in place senior administrators trained in crowd control response, with written plans for a response that were the product of scenario training and consultation with its police department and outside law enforcement agencies.
With so many questions and discrepancies and a seeming lack of enthusiasm to hold the appropriate parties accountable who instigated and perpetuated violence at these protests, let’s call Chief John Thomas’ temporary reassignment for what it is, a railroad job at best.
Marvin McCoy
