WATCH: AIM takes UC Irvine to task on silence about protest aftermath

October 3, 2024

By Accuracy in Media Staff

Last spring, several students and faculty members at UC Irvine were arrested following the illegal occupation of a campus building. Since then, the university has failed to inform the public about any further disciplinary action against the protesters.

In response to this silence, Accuracy in Media brought our mobile billboard, known for exposing antisemites, to engage directly with students on the UCI campus.

Resistance began almost immediately. One passerby, in an attempt to disrupt our message, sang a poor rendition of a Disney song, presumably trying to provoke a copyright dispute. Others hurled insults, calling AIM President Adam Guillette, and our team “pathetic” and “losers”—despite the fact that we were not the ones arrested for illegal activities.

The university attempted to intimidate us by sending a tow truck, but the driver refused to leave his vehicle. Instead, we received a $500 citation for displaying a mobile billboard, which apparently violates campus policies—despite the university allowing illegal encampments and building takeovers to persist for days.

Many students were reluctant to acknowledge that their classmates’ actions, which included the use of Hamas-associated imagery, could be considered antisemitic. Two students who engaged in conversation with Guillette argued that it was “incorrect” to label the use of the Hamas red triangle—a symbol of Hamas’s military that also resembles Nazi concentration camp markers—as antisemitic. They insisted the symbol was “absolutely not” tied to anti-Jewish sentiments.

This kind of willful ignorance would be laughable if it weren’t so disturbing. It is troubling that future leaders are choosing to dismiss historical facts in favor of following current trends of perceived oppression.

Another student offered a convoluted argument, stating: “Someone who’s antisemitic probably, definitely supports Hamas, but you can’t make that inclusion the other way around. Someone who might support Hamas might not [be antisemitic].”

Guillette responded, “Do you think there are a lot of Jewish supporters in Hamas?” to which the student reluctantly admitted, “No, but I think they might be a supporter…”

Even after acknowledging that Hamas does not include Jews in its ranks, the student still claimed that this does not make Hamas antisemitic. The mental gymnastics were exhausting.

Despite these interactions, many students—both domestic and international—voiced support for our efforts. Some Jewish students expressed fear for their safety on campus. One recalled protesters openly calling for an intifada, which, as she explained, is a call for the killing of Jews. These students thanked AIM for exposing the antisemitism that has gone unchallenged at their university, as we have done on other campuses like Columbia and Harvard.

Accuracy in Media remains committed to holding campus antisemites accountable, especially when universities fail to do so. To learn more and take action, visit UCIrvineHatesJews.com.

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