The LGBT Resource Center was vandalized and burglarized in a
series of attacks on Sunday and Monday nights in what university
police has classified as hate crimes.
The resource center, located in the Student Activities Center,
had a concrete rock thrown through a window Sunday night that
caused additional damage inside the building. Then, assailants on
Monday night stole rainbow flags that had draped the windows and an
LGBT California flag. Both incidents are estimated to have occurred
between the late evening and early morning hours, during which the
center is closed.
UCPD has gathered evidence and is following up on several leads,
said Nancy Greenstein, director of police community services for
UCPD. She added that the department will increase patrol around the
resource center and post fliers calling for information about the
crimes.
The incidents occurred only days before the first anniversary of
the resource center’s relocation to the newly renovated
Student Activities Center, located at the bottom of Bruin Walk.
“I’m grateful that no one was hurt and that most of
the students are not yet back to witness these horrible attacks.
UCLA authorities and administration have been wonderful with their
support and immediate help,” said Ronni Sanlo, director of
the center, in an e-mail.
Chancellor Albert Carnesale called the acts “an attack on
the entire campus community” and met with Sanlo and other
UCLA officials early Tuesday evening to discuss the incidents and
their impact.
“UCLA has a policy of zero tolerance for hate-motivated
crimes; nevertheless, groups and individuals still can become
targets of such acts simply because of others’ intolerance.
Such acts threaten the physical and psychological well-being of
members of our community and they detract from the wonderful work
we all do at UCLA,” Carnesale said in a statement.
Carnesale also assured the campus community that hate crimes
will not be tolerated and that UCLA will remain safe as the new
academic year begins in a few weeks.
This is one of the higher profile hate crimes that have occurred
on campus, Greenstein said, adding that UCPD gives higher priority
to hate crimes that target a specific group of people than to
typical property damage reports.
Carnesale directed the campus to the UCLA Web site
www.reporthate.ucla.edu, which allows hate crimes to be reported
anonymously and provides links to other campus resources like the
LGBT center.
Sanlo indicated that the LGBT community is determined to remain
strong but the attacks show that the fight for rights for the
community is not over yet.