The University of Southern California's Department of Public Safety took action on Wednesday afternoon by ordering protesters at the campus' Alumni Park to disperse. Officers made it clear that demonstrators needed to leave the area within 10 minutes or face potential charges of criminal trespassing.
Using a loudspeaker, a campus Department of Public Safety officer, accompanied by Los Angeles Police Department officers, informed the protesters that the Alumni Park and its adjacent areas were private property. The officer stated, 'Everybody has to leave the Alumni Park area and adjacent area. This is private property. If you stay on this property, you'll be subject to ... criminal trespass. You have 10 minutes to leave the park.'
Despite the warning, some protesters chose to remain in the park, sitting with their arms linked, standing, and chanting. The scene was a display of defiance following the directive from law enforcement.
The situation at the University of Southern California's Alumni Park highlights the ongoing tensions between protesters and authorities, as well as the complexities surrounding the right to assemble and the enforcement of property rights on private grounds.
