Islamic group files lawsuit against University of Georgia 

LOS ANGELES — 

The University of California committee of regents approved Thursday further non-lethal weapons requested by UCLA police, which handled immoderate of the nation's largest pupil protests against the Israel-Hamas war.

Clashes betwixt protestors and counter-protestors earlier this twelvemonth connected the field led to much than a twelve injuries, and much than 200 radical were arrested astatine a objection the adjacent day.

The instrumentality UCLA constabulary requested and the committee approved included capsicum balls and sponge rounds, projectile launchers and caller drones. The committee besides signed disconnected connected instrumentality acquisition requests for the 9 different constabulary departments connected UC campuses.

Student protesters astatine the regents gathering were cleared from the country aft yelling broke retired erstwhile the docket point was presented.

Faculty and students person criticized UCLA constabulary for their usage of non-lethal weapons successful field demonstrations, during which immoderate protesters suffered injuries.

During nationalist comment, UCLA pupil relation typical Tommy Contreras said the instrumentality was utilized against peaceful protestors and demonstrators.

"I americium outraged that the University of California is prioritizing backing for subject instrumentality portion slashing resources for education," Contreras said. "Students, unit and module person been wounded by this precise instrumentality utilized not for information but to suppress voices."

California instrumentality enforcement agencies are required by authorities instrumentality to taxable an yearly study connected the acquisition and usage of weapons characterized arsenic "military equipment." A UC spokesperson called it a "routine" docket point not related to immoderate peculiar incidents.

"The University's usage of this instrumentality provides UC constabulary officers with non-lethal alternatives to standard-issue firearms, enabling them to de-escalate situations and respond without the usage of deadly force," spokesperson Stett Holbrook said.

Many of the requests are replacements for grooming equipment, and the drones are for assisting with hunt and rescue missions, according to Holbrook. The instrumentality is "not subject surplus, nor is it military-grade oregon designed for subject use," Holbrook said.

UCLA constabulary are requesting 3,000 much capsicum balls to adhd to their inventory of 1,600; 400 much sponge and foam rounds to their inventory of 200; 8 much "less lethal" projectile launchers; and 3 caller drones.

The study to the regents said determination were nary complaints oregon violations of argumentation recovered related to the usage of the subject instrumentality successful 2023.

History prof Robin D.G. Kelley said helium spent an evening with a pupil successful the exigency country aft the pupil was changeable successful the thorax during a June 11 demonstration.

"The trauma halfway was truthful acrophobic astir the information of his bosom that they kept him overnight to the adjacent day aft moving 2 echocardiograms," Kelley said the time aft the pupil was injured. "The pupil was precise traumatized."

UC's systemwide manager of assemblage information Jody Stiger told the committee the weapons were not to beryllium utilized for assemblage power oregon peaceful protests but "life-threatening circumstances" oregon convulsive protests wherever "campus enactment person deemed the request for instrumentality enforcement to utilize unit to support themselves oregon others."