A speaking event at UCLA’s law school erupted into turmoil Tuesday night when a Department of Homeland Security attorney faced loud disruptions from student protesters and activists.
James Percival, general counsel for DHS, was invited by the Federalist Society’s UCLA chapter to address law students on campus.
But the appearance quickly turned contentious as more than 150 demonstrators gathered outside, chanting slogans targeting the Trump administration, including “No ICE, No KKK, No Fascist USA.”
Inside the venue, the tensions continued.
Students repeatedly booed Percival throughout his remarks, while others held up profane signs, including one that read, “F— you loser.”
Some attendees also used their phones to blast disruptive noises, the Daily Bruin reported, and at multiple points shouted “Nazi” during the talk.
The protest carried into the event’s closing moments.
During the question-and-answer session, many of the demonstrators exited en masse in a show of protest.
Ahead of the event, several left-leaning campus organizations circulated online posts and petitions opposing Percival’s appearance.
Critics described some of the messaging as threatening.
One group, By Any Means Necessary, promoted a picket outside the law school on Instagram, urging action against what it described as a “fascist takeover” and condemning US immigration policies.
“UCLA must not give representatives of ICE and the Trump Administration a base to organize Trump’s campaign of racist ethnic cleansing of the US and the Middle East,” the group’s flyer stated.
Another organization, the UCLA Latine Law Students Association, also criticized the invitation.
The group claimed that ICE practices have harmed students and communities, alleging that individuals are targeted “primarily based on ethnicity.”
Footage of the confrontation spread rapidly on social media after being shared by UCLA law graduate Yitzy Frankel, drawing reactions from high-profile figures.
Despite the uproar, UCLA Law said the event ultimately proceeded as planned.
“UCLA Law is committed to free speech and academic freedom, including perspectives that may be controversial or deeply contested,” the school said in a statement to Fox News. “This student-organized event, which proceeded to its conclusion, was one instance of those principles in practice.”