UCLA medical student Eliana Jolkovsky, who has been posting videos from campus on her Instagram and Twitter accounts since a pro-Hamas encampment was established last week, appeared on Fox News' America Reports on Thursday to speak about her experiences with the antisemitic mob and said that despite claims that it was a "peaceful protest," that it was violent from day one.
Jolkovsky, who is Korean and Jewish, placed the blame squarely on school administrators for the "absolute insanity" on campus. She said that on day one the protesters were calling for intifada and death to Zionists, and that UCPD was there every day "standing idly by" while Jewish students were assaulted by those in the encampment. On Friday Jolkovsky's friend was pushed off a ledge by a protester simply because she was holding a sign condemning Hamas and UCPD didn't intervene.
"UCPD has been there every single day, just standing idly by, and I think that's because UCLA administration never told them to intervene. So this is really on the UCLA leadership for not shutting the encampment down on the very first night, after there was already physical violence. And UCLA let it fester until there was major clashes and riots and then sent in law enforcement. But by that time it was just complete chaos, and it's a shame to the Jewish community. They have not protected the Jewish community at all."
UCLA professor Nir Hoffman backed up Jolkovsky's account:
"This was never peaceful. Jews were not allowed to go into the campus. Jews were not allowed to go into the library. Jews were not allowed to go to classes. It was never peaceful. They're vandalizing the entire quad."
Unfortunately, there aren't many Jewish students at UCLA Medical School - which is located in an area of Los Angeles that is 25 percent Jewish and named after a very public Zionist, David Geffen - and Jolkovsky said there's a definite anti-Israel mindset.
There's other Jewish students, not very many, which is concerning. That's a problem to address another time. But there is a very widespread anti-Israel belief in my med school. And I've heard antisemitic rhetoric, so that's definitely concerning to me.
She also referenced the medical school's issues with antisemitism, including first-year students being forced to sit through a lecture by a pro-Hamas activist.
READ MORE: UCLA Med School Students Are Taught That Modern Science Is 'White Science' by Pro-Hamas Lecturer
Watch Jolkovsky's full interview below.
Jolkovsky also spoke with Fox News earlier Thursday, while the encampment was still being cleared.
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