UCI to investigate vandalism as hate crime

Deepa Bharath

The torching of a symbolic wall built by Arab students on campus last

week will be investigated as a hate crime, university officials said

on Monday.

The Society of Arab Students erected the 6-foot-by-8-foot wall

made of cardboard boxes on Monday to depict Israel’s controversial

security barrier being used to fend off Palestinian suicide bombers.

Officials earlier had said that someone set fire to the wall and

burned it down Thursday afternoon, but said on Monday that the

incident was reported on Friday at about 12:15 a.m.

The students had obtained a permit to construct the cardboard

display and to let it stand in the quad area -- also known as the

Free Speech Zone -- for a whole week, university officials said. They

initially said there was not enough evidence to prove that the

incident was motivated by race, religion or politics.

But police have now found that evidence, said Al Brown, UCI police

chief. The miscreants had also burned down another sign with the

Muslim students’ program schedule for the week, he said.

“That sign was about a 150 feet away and it was reportedly burned

down around the same time as the wall,” Brown said. “We’re going to

be investigating this incident as a hate crime now.”

Campus police will conduct the investigation with the help of the

FBI, he said.

Brown, who has been UCI’s police chief for the last

year-and-a-half and with the UC system for 31 years, said these type

of incidents have been few and far between.

“They are very rare on our campuses,” he said.

University administrators also issued statements on Monday saying

that they were disappointed by the incident.

“Events such as these are, unfortunately, becoming more common in

our society and on university campuses,” Chancellor Ralph J. Cicerone

said. “The recent incident at UCI stimulates us to renew our

commitment to mutual respect and to protecting and upholding the

rights of others to express themselves, without fear of retaliation

or harm.”

Students on campus have a right to express their opinions and the

university condemns the burning of the wall, said Randy Lewis,

executive associate dean of students.

“The university, in conjunction with appropriate agencies, is

committed to a full investigation of Friday’s incident, and those

responsible will be held fully accountable for their actions,” he

said.

Osama Abuljebain, president of the Society of Arab Students, said

he was happy with the positive response from university officials.

“We need continued and consistent support from them,” he said.

“After an incident like this one, they need to make Arab students on

campus feel safe and take appropriate security measures.”

Abuljebain said the campus has close to 400 Arab students. About

150 students are members of the group, he said.

The group plans to have a demonstration on campus Thursday

afternoon, Abuljebain said.

“It’s going to be an anti-hate crime and anti-racism

demonstration,” he said. “We may even build another wall and have

people who are anti-hate crime sign on it to show their support.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or [email protected].