October 9, 2025
“True Bruin Values”: How UCLA Justified a Crackdown on Protest
By Nic Wong
More than a year after the Gaza encampments, the university’s newly enforced “time, place, and manner” restrictions have spread to any sort of contentious content on campus.
For the last six years, Eric Martin spent nearly every day at the University of California, Los Angeles, teaching theology to undergraduates.
But on April 11, 2025, Martin opened his door to a FedEx courier holding a thick folder. The package was from Michael Levine, the UCLA vice chancellor for academic affairs and personnel, a 146-page “Notice of Intent to Dismiss” informing Martin that he was banned from campus.
Martin was among the many professors, faculty, teaching assistants, and students present at UCLA’s Palestine Solidarity Encampments calling for divestment from Israel.
“While I was banned, I continued to receive e-mails about a workplace violence prevention training,” said Martin, who said he was present at UCLA encampments to provide support for his students. “It was ironic, because I got fired precisely for trying to prevent violence at my workplace. It was just that the violence came from the admin and the police. Apparently, trying to stop someone from firing a gun at students doesn’t count as violence prevention,” he said. “I was arrested while in the encampment—while I was standing there, pleading with police officers not to open fire on my students.”
