At a time when we should be focused on establishing a heliocentric view of identity that sees us all fighting to protect life on this planet and whatever miracles we may find in our solar system, we continue to find our institutions of higher learning entrenched with the interests of warmongers, war criminals, and human rights violators. The UC has failed to call for a ceasefire or review its investments and support of Israel's war effort. The UC has spent over $30 billion towards genocide. No longer can we, as students and staff, stand behind our University contributing to the demolition of dozens of educational institutions in Palestine. Our work as educators is compromised when we stand by those who kill children, students, teachers, and administrators. It compromises our values when our research is used to whitewash a land, and erase a people’s cultural and historical heritages and histories from the face of the Earth. We cannot sit idly by while our University resources continue to contribute to apartheid and genocide, the murder of thousands of her students and teachers, and the massacre of tens of thousands of children and their families. How can UCLA keep its motto, Fiat Luxe, Let there be light, when the administration attempts to obfuscate, deny, and conceal the violence being committed in collaboration with our administration? Let there be shame.
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