The Black Student Union at UC Irvine is calling for the complete “dismantling” of the schools police department and any additional “paramilitary force presence” with a campus presence within three to six months.
Although the BSU reportedly was not referring to a specific campus event in a letter they sent to campus administrators on Monday seeking the UCI Police Department’s abolishment, they referred to what they believe is anti-black sentiment held by police and a perceived increase in police violence around the country.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the BSU letter notes that “police presence on campus is a manifestation of anti-black aggression.” The letter continues, “This aggression produces the same psychic damage and racial terror that black folks suffer from beyond the university. The university purports to be a ‘safe’ space, a place for all students to excel academically — but instead, the university engages in a range of practices and policies that reaffirm the message that we, black people, are America’s internal enemies.”
It also suggests that that “university does not adhere to black student concerns” and alleges that “The police are emblematic of an endless array of dead black bodies, the death of our loved ones and of our communities.”
The Times notes that University officials issued a statement in response to the BSU’s demands on Thursday, indicating they have zero plans to abolish the police force.
The UCI Police Department comprises a highly respected team of officers who risk their lives to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff. We are proud of them and will continue to support the department.
The university reportedly said they will continue to encourage dialogue with the student union.
This past November, campus officers at Occidental College blasted student demands from the “Oxy United for Black Liberation” that campus police stop wearing their bullet proof vests. Occidental campus officer Jasmine Vasquez told Breitbart News at the time, “We don’t have any other protection to defend ourselves. If we don’t have our vests, all we have is our voice and our hands.” The campus police do not carry weapons.
Last March, Breitbart News broke a story about a member of UCI’s Black Student Union and several other UCI students who sought to abolish all national flags, including the American flag from a common space on campus, suggesting “Old Glory” triggered hurt feelings among illegals and other minority groups.
The legislation was vetoed soon after.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz.
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