About 30 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside of the Fowler Museum on Wednesday evening to protest a former Israeli politician’s campus lecture.

Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA, Faculty for Justice in Palestine at UCLA and the Los Angeles, Orange County and Inland Empire chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement organized the demonstration. Ronen Hoffman, a former Israeli diplomat and politician, came to UCLA at 6 p.m. to deliver the Harry C. Sigman Distinguished Lecture – which the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies hosts annually.

About 10 public safety aides used their bikes to block protesters from walking past Kaufman Hall to the Fowler Museum. Several UCPD officers equipped with batons and face shields lined up behind the line of bikes.

Protesters picketed in a circle in front of the bikes at 6 p.m. One protester stood in the center and chanted, “justice for genocide” through a megaphone.

The protesters condemned Hoffman for his alleged involvement in the 2014 Gaza War – also known as Operation Protective Edge – in which more than 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed, according to the Associated Press. Hoffman was a part of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, at the time and served on its defense and foreign affairs committees.

Protesters gathered in Bruin Plaza at 5:30 p.m. before marching toward the Fowler Museum. Attendees chanted, “UC, UC you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” and, “Hoffman, Hoffman you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide” while in the plaza.

Demonstrators also held a banner that read, “war criminals off campus.”

“How shameful is it that our university chooses to invite Hoffman, who has repeatedly aligned himself with denying Palestinians with the right of return?” a protester said in a speech.

Protesters walked to the side of Wilson Plaza, bordering the Student Activities Center, around 6 p.m. The public safety aides moved off to the side with their bikes after the demonstrators moved.

“We had security officers, public safety, aids, and police officers at the event at Fowler, and with the demonstrators,” said Steve Lurie, the associate vice chancellor for campus and community safety, in a texted statement. “There were no arrests, and the demonstration did not impact the planned event.”

A counterprotester approached and confronted the pro-Palestine demonstrators around 6:10 p.m. A UCPD officer threatened to arrest her if she did not disengage, prompting the woman to walk away.

Another counterprotester approached the demonstrators at about 7 p.m., yelling, “what about Iran?” to the group. The Iranian government has killed more than 7,000 people as of Feb. 12 since beginning its crackdown on protesters in late December, according to PBS.

The woman eventually left the scene after a conversation with a UCPD officer.

A speaker condemned Hoffman for having served on the Knesset in a speech.

“We are going to transition into reading the names of the martyrs from Operation Protective Edge, which Ronen Hoffman, while sitting on the Knesset … sanctioned and let happen,” the speaker said.

The demonstrators began reading out names and stories of Palestinian people killed by the Israeli military around 6:30 p.m., chanting, “We will honor all our martyrs.”

The Israeli military has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians since the start of the Israel-Hamas War, according to AP. Israel’s attacks followed Palestinian political party and militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, which killed 1,200 people.

Public safety aides blocked the pathway to the Fowler Museum with bikes again as attendees began leaving the lecture around 7:30 p.m.

Protesters dispersed from the scene around 8 p.m.

“We must chant in righteous opposition like we are here today,” a demonstrator said in a speech. “It begins in our daily conversation with our co-workers, our friends, our classmates, people ignoring us as they walk on Bruin Walk. It is our duty to plant the seeds in their mind, in their heads, and it means opening ourselves to listening to Palestinian voices.”

Contributing reports by Alexandra Crosnoe and Andrew Diaz, Daily Bruin staff