A counter-protester charged with assaulting protesters at UCLA’s Palestine solidarity encampment in spring 2024 accepted a plea deal July 7.

Malachi Marlan-Librett, who graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2019 and then attended a UCLA film program, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, battery and a hate crime after he allegedly assaulted, followed and yelled racial epithets at pro-Palestine protesters in the encampment. The plea deal Marlan-Librett accepted July 7 will dismiss said charges pending his completion of a diversionary program, which requires him to attend 90 hours of therapy and anti-bias training.

Some of Marlan-Librett’s actions came as part of an attack led by a group of about 100 pro-Israel counter-protesters on the night of April 30, 2024 and into the early morning of May 1, 2024.

A video published by CNN last year also shows what the outlet describes as Marlan-Librett kicking and trying to hit individuals within the encampment with a broken broom. Counter-protesters attempted to breach the encampment while throwing tear gas, fireworks and other objects into the area.

Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications Mary Osako said in a statement after midnight May 1, 2024 that law enforcement had been called for “immediate support.” However, police did not arrive on the scene until over two hours later.

[Related: Pro-Israel counter-protesters attempt to storm encampment, sparking violence]

One incident that Marlan-Librett was charged for involved him allegedly following Ramsey Judah – an attorney who said he attended the encampment April 28 to answer legal questions – from the encampment to his car in a parking lot. Marlan-Librett allegedly then shoved him while screaming expletives.

UCLA’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and the UC Divest Coalition set up the encampment April 25, 2024 to demand that the UC divest from companies associated with the Israeli military. Counter-protesters demonstrated against the encampment during the week that followed, before the May 2, 2024 police sweep of the encampment, which resulted in over 200 arrests.

A video provided by Judah showed two men approaching and screaming at Judah and two others.

“I thought he was talking to somebody else. The closer I got to him, I realized he was looking at me,” Judah said. “I ended up going to the staff’s and student’s lot, lot three. … As we realized we’re in the wrong lot, the three of them were waiting for us at the top, so we get back on the sidewalk, and that’s when my friends started recording because they felt like something was going to go down.”

Judah said that while he and his friends then went to the neighboring visitor parking lot, Marlan-Librett continued to say things like, “We should send you to Gaza,” “You shouldn’t exist” and “You’re a terrorist.”

As Judah got closer to his car, Judah said he stopped and asked Marlan-Librett, “What’s your problem, man?” Judah said Marlan-Librett then pushed him against the car behind him.

Judah said the man with Marlan-Librett then went in to kick him but backed off when he saw two large sticks in each of Judah’s hands, which he said he was asked to bring to bang on drums in the encampment.

Judah said he was not contacted at all by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office until the case’s outcome was determined – around two weeks ago, well over a year since the incident.

“All of this was a surprise,” Judah said. “I actually got a call from the district attorney’s office, I kid you not, … maybe 10 days ago, and this gentleman that was on the phone was saying that he’s from the district attorney’s office, just wanted to let me know that my assailant accepted a plea deal and ‘just so you know, he’s getting therapy for a year, so this should definitely make a difference in his life’ and he told me that at least he (Marlan-Librett) admitted to what he did.”

A spokeswoman for the LA County district attorney’s office told the LA Times that Marlan-Librett not having a criminal record was one of the reasons why he was offered the plea deal instead of a harsher sentence.

Edan On, a counter-protester who was arrested after UCPD said videos showed him attacking people in the encampment with a pole, was ultimately charged with misdemeanor battery in June 2024 after the LA County district attorney chose not to bring felony charges against him. On is yet to appear in court.

Judah said he believes the charges against counter-protesters like Marlan-Librett and On are a “microcosm” of the events occurring in Gaza and the West Bank.

The LA district attorney’s office declined a request to comment. Organizations including the Law Offices of Richard L. Sternfeld, Students for Justice in Palestine, Faculty for Justice in Palestine and UC Divest Coalition at UCLA did not respond in time to requests for comment.

“No matter … where they are in the world, it’s this type of privilege amongst racist supremacists that allows them to be able to commit whatever kind of crime that they want, and they just seem to get away with it,” Judah said. “There’s just no punishment.”