UCSD says video claiming evacuation of Jewish student meeting is ‘incorrect’
SAN DIEGO — UC San Diego responded to a video circulating on social media that alleged a building where Jewish students gathered to discuss antisemitism was evacuated, saying in statements over the weekend that the post’s claims were untrue.
The footage was initially posted to X, formerly Twitter, by a self-described news aggregator based in Hungary, but has since been taken down. It was later shared again to Instagram by a pro-Israel advocate that appears to live in Tel Aviv.
The video contained text that read “The police have been forced to evacuate Jewish students from a building of University of California San Diego @ucsandiego where they had gathered to discuss antisemitic threats. Swiftly, a large and threatening anti-Israeli mob gathered in front of the building.”
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In a statement, the university said no such evacuation took place and that the video was from a student government meeting on Nov. 1, 2023.
According to UCSD, campus police were present at the meeting, but had been there as “preplanned security and escorts” in coordination with the Tritons for Israel student organization, Student Affairs and university administration.
However, the main topic of the Associated Students meeting did appear to be antisemitism and the safety of Jewish students on campus, based on background audio from the Instagram video.
“Our top concern remains the safety of our community,” the statement from UCSD officials continued. “To ensure everyone’s safety, we will continue to provide security for all Associated Students meetings for the time being. As the President and Chancellors stated in their prior messages to campus, there is no room for antisemitism or any other kind of hate. We work to ensure our campus is safe for everyone while protecting free speech and academic freedom.”
The protestors seen outside the building in the video appeared to have been participants in a campus walkout on Nov. 1 organized by the Students for Justice in Palestine at UC San Diego to call for a ceasefire in Gaza as the civilian death toll in the enclave continues to mount.
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As of Nov. 19, Palestinian officials say that nearly 11,500 people have been killed in Gaza, while another 2,700 have been reported missing — most believed to be buried under rubble from Israeli airstrikes. Thousands more have been injured or displaced from their homes.
Meanwhile, about 1,200 people in Israel have died — nearly all in the initial Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli officials. Hamas is also believed to have over 240 hostages in Gaza. Four people that were kidnapped have since been released, and one has been rescued.
The connection between the walkout and the Associated Students meeting is unclear, although other videos of the protest show it appeared to have remained peaceful. FOX 5 reached out to SJP at UCSD for comment and is awaiting a response.
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