At UCLA, judge orders pro-Palestinian protesters can't block Jewish students from class

Racist riots unfolded across the United Kingdom earlier this month fueled by online disinformation, and experts warn similar events could unfold in the United States, especially given a rollback in social media moderation and ongoing antagonism by X owner Elon Musk. Meanwhile, a judge in Los Angeles rules that UCLA must protect Jewish students from being blocked from their classes, and an appeals court in California is skeptical about a judge’s decision in a case against a white supremacist.

It’s the week in extremism.

Hate, disinformation in U.K. could play out here too

Riots and racist attacks swept across the U.K. earlier this month, fueled by online disinformation. USA TODAY examined what the attacks mean, and how they might set a precedent for possible political violence here in the United States .

• In the U.K., a brutal knife attack against a children’s dance class left three dead. Afterward, far-right influencers spread lies about the identity of the attacker, spurring white supremacists and other protesters to attack mosques, immigration centers and individual migrants over several days.
• Some of those posts were boosted by X owner Elon Musk, whose platform was also a hotbed for the misinformation fueling the protests. Musk helped boost posts from people including Britain’s Timmy Robinson, an anti-Islam activist and convicted criminal who had been banned from Twitter until Musk bought it, experts told USA TODAY.
• Experts on extremism now worry a similar trend could play out in the United States in the months leading up to November’s election. Social media companies have severely pulled back on their efforts to rein in extremists and spreaders of disinformation.

“There's no reason why we couldn't see exactly the same pattern here in the U.S.,” said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. “As we get closer to the election here in the United States, and tempers flare, any incident like the incident that happened in England could spark the same fury here.”

Judge orders UCLA to ensure Jewish students access to class

As universities prepare to restart the academic year, a judge in Los Angeles granted a preliminary injunction against the University of California, Los Angeles, this week, ordering the school to ensure that Jewish students are not blocked from attending classes by pro-Palestinian protesters.

• UCLA was home to some of the most tenacious pro-Palestinian protests in the spring. Protesters occupied a quadrangle on campus for more than a week in April and May, before police moved in and dismantled their camp ( USA TODAY was there ).
• In June, three Jewish UCLA students sued the university, claiming the protesters had created a “Jew Exclusion Zone” and had created a hostile environment for Jewish students. On July 30, U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi gave the university a week to create a plan to protect Jewish students.
• On Tuesday, Judge Scarsi granted the injunction against the university, giving UCLA until Aug. 15 to inform campus personnel “they are not to aid or participate in any obstruction of access for Jewish students.”

Scarsi’s decision was met with support from Jewish organizations: “The idea that a university would allow protesters to block Jewish students from participating in school life and their own education is outrageous,” Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America said in a statement. “This ruling rightly requires UCLA to ensure that Jewish students, like all students, have equal and open access to the school’s campus and programming, and we expect other universities to take notice."

Appeals court skeptical of ruling that let white supremacist off lightly

In April, USA TODAY wrote about a ruling by a federal judge in California to drop a case against a white supremacist who attacked a journalist at a 2017 rally. This week, a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals appeared skeptical of the judge’s reasoning, according to a report from the Courthouse News Service.

• Judge Cormac J. Carney ruled in April that Tyler Laube, a former member of the racist fight club Rise Above Movement, deserved a light sentence because prosecutors had focused disproportionately on the far-right and ignored crimes committed by antifascists.
• The ruling raised eyebrows, particularly since the country’s largest prosecution of antifascists was taking place at the same time just down the freeway in San Diego. “He’s really gone off the deep end,” John Donohue, a professor at Stanford Law School told USA TODAY.
• According to the Courthouse News Service, the three-judge appeals panel “appeared unimpressed,” and “showed concern” about the ruling.

It’s the second time the Ninth Circuit has reviewed one of Carney’s rulings in the case. The court already reversed Carney’s previous order throwing out the charges on First Amendment grounds.

Statistic of the week: One year

That’s how long former University of Kentucky student Sophia Rosing faces in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of misdemeanor assault, as well as disorderly conduct and public intoxication this week.

The guilty plea was in relation to a drunk and racist tirade Rosing went on in 2022 against another student, who is Black. Video of Rosing’s racist rant went viral at the time.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: At UCLA, judge orders pro-Palestinian protesters can't block Jewish students from class