LOS ANGELES, CA — Most protesters arrested at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC) during last year’s Gaza-related demonstrations will not face criminal charges, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced Friday, according to LAist and an official statement from her office.
More than 300 arrests were referred to the City Attorney’s Office following the large-scale protests that erupted across both campuses in April and May 2024. The demonstrations, part of a national movement in solidarity with Palestine during the Israel-Hamas war, drew police presence from both the UCLA Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to the City Attorney’s Office, 205 of the arrests were referred by the UCLA Police Department following protests on May 1 and 2, 2024, and an additional 40 arrests were referred from a protest on May 6. All were declined for filing due to insufficient evidence. Similarly, the Los Angeles Police Department referred 93 arrests from the April 24 protest at USC, which were also declined for the same reason. In many cases, charges could not be filed because the universities failed or were unable to assist in identifying arrestees or providing key information necessary for prosecution.
“After careful consideration, we are filing criminal charges against two individuals and sending three others to City Attorney Hearings,” Feldstein Soto said in the official announcement. “I want to thank the attorneys in my Criminal Branch for their dedication to the rule of law and their commitment to objectively evaluating the evidence and referrals received on each of these matters.”
While most referrals were not pursued, the City Attorney’s Office did move forward with five individuals whose alleged conduct went beyond protest activity. Two people arrested at USC and one at UCLA were referred to City Attorney Hearings—an informal, pre-filing diversion process used as an alternative to misdemeanor prosecution. The individuals referred to this process were identified as Ali Abuamouneh and Karla Maria Aguilar from USC, and David Fischel from UCLA.
Two other individuals arrested at UCLA are facing misdemeanor charges. Edan On was charged with battery and brandishing a weapon, while Matthew Katz was charged with battery, false imprisonment, and resisting arrest.
Feldstein Soto emphasized that her office supports the lawful exercise of speech and assembly, and that prosecution decisions are guided by a close review of the facts and legal standards, including whether charges can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Prosecutions stemming from college protests against the Israel-Hamas war have been a hot-button issue,” LAist reported.
Feldstein Soto, the first woman elected as Los Angeles City Attorney, took office in December 2022 and leads a team of nearly 1,000 legal professionals, including more than 500 attorneys. She reiterated that her office is committed to upholding both the rule of law and the constitutional rights of protestors.
“In many cases, charges could not be filed because the universities failed or were unable to assist in identifying arrestees or providing key information necessary for prosecution.”
Or more likely the universities didn’t want to assist.
I also wonder if the five that are facing charges were pro-Israel protesters?
I noted what KO noted regarding the universities and their willingness to ‘help’.
Regarding if were pro-Israel protestors, Edan On was a pro-Israel protestor, and he fully deserves to be prosecuted. The coward wore a white mask and beat people at the protest with a stick. I believe most of the others arrested were on the pro-Palestine side, though I haven’t confirmed that and the article didn’t differentiate.
How about the pro-Gaza protesters on the UCLA campus who blocked a Jewish student from going to class?
Just like the BLM riots, the lesson here is riot all you want there will be no consequences.
This time with a conservative Republican DA in charge.
Actually it was the Los Angeles “City” Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto from the City Attorney’s Office.
As far as L.A. County DA Nathan Hochman he is a registered Independent.
I forgot LA has a weird system where the city attorney prosecutes misdemeanors. Hochman ran for AG as a Republican in 2022, and then switched to independent to run for DA in blue LA county. It’s just like Reisig and Shubert – they are Republicans who ran in blue counties.