Graeme Blair is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at UCLA and a prominent member of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP-UCLA). He has played a leading role in defending pro-Palestinian protests on campus, repeatedly aligning himself with student activists, the encampments, and actions that created a hostile environment for Jewish students.
Active Participation in the UCLA Encampment
In the spring of 2024, Blair was deeply involved in the Palestine Solidarity Encampment at UCLA. He visited the encampment daily, staffed a faculty table inside the protest, and took part in multiple teach-ins and rallies. On April 29, 2024, he joined the faculty walkout and gave speeches in support of student protesters. Blair also stood with other faculty on the steps of Royce Hall holding a sign that read: “UCLA Faculty and Staff Support our Students.”
Blair claimed he helped de-escalate tensions between protesters and counter-protesters on April 30 and May 1. On May 1, he organized a faculty march and press conference criticizing the university’s handling of the protests.
Arrest and Disciplinary Action
On May 2, 2024, Blair was among the faculty members arrested during the police operation to dismantle the encampment. He was charged under California Penal Code section 409 while holding a sign in support of students. In June 2024, UCLA’s Committee on Charges informed him he was under investigation for violating the Faculty Code of Conduct. Allegations included disruption of university functions, incitement to disobey rules, unauthorized use of resources, harassment, and serious professional misconduct.
Lawsuit Against UCLA
Blair became a plaintiff in Blair v. Regents of the University of California, a lawsuit filed on October 22, 2024. The case accuses UCLA of suppressing faculty and student speech related to the encampment. Blair publicly stated that his support for students during what he described as a “violent confrontation” with police cost him a promotion to full professor.
Public Statements and Press Conferences
Blair condemned UCLA’s use of police force, accusing the administration of betraying the university community and declaring that the injuries and arrests of students were “on Gene Block and the UC administration’s hands.” He also organized and participated in multiple press conferences defending the encampments and rejecting accusations of antisemitism against the protesters.
Conclusion
Graeme Blair’s close involvement in the encampment—ranging from daily participation to public condemnation of the administration—cemented his role as a faculty leader defending disruptive and hostile protests on campus. His actions not only placed him at odds with UCLA’s administration but also amplified rhetoric that normalized antisemitic hostility within the encampment environment.
