Updated April 9, 2024 | 3:44pm PT

Claremont, CA — On Friday afternoon, Claremont Police took 20 student protesters from the Claremont Colleges into custody for occupying Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr's Alexander Hall office on Pomona College’s campus. Reportedly, 18 were charged with misdemeanor trespassing for not leaving the premises even though they had been “given directives” to leave, according to Claremont Police officer Eric Orozco. Police arrested an additional protester for failing to clear the path as police began to enter the Hall.

Those arrested were part of 100 or so protesters who showed up on Pomona College’s campus to protest Pomona College’s refusal to divest itself from entities connected to Israel’s role in the war in Gaza.

After the arrest of the students, the protesters moved to Claremont’s Police Department offices where they waited in protest until the arrested students were released one by one. Helicopters from several news sources showed up to document the proceedings.

Earlier, police agencies from Claremont, Pomona, Azusa, Covina and La Verne had stood in full riot gear in riot formation in the middle of College Ave.

And, in an even earlier action, college administration forcefully removed student artwork, eight days after students at the Claremont Colleges erected a mock apartheid wall on Marston Quad. According to a press release from the student-led advocacy organization, Pomona Divest Apartheid, the students erected the work in order to “'illuminate Pomona College's complicity in the face of an illegal occupation and genocide.”

After questioning a Pomona Police Officer why they were in the city of Claremont, we also asked, doesn’t your presence in Claremont result in a “shortage of officers in Pomona, in a city with security issues of its own.? The officer's responded, ‘take that up with your city officials.’

Julian Lucas, is a photographer, a purveyor of books, and writer, but mostly a photographer. Don’t ever ask him to take photos of events because he will charge you a lot of money. Julian is also the owner and founder of Mirrored Society Book Shop, publisher of The Pomonan, founder of Book-Store, and founder of PPABF.

Text and Photo Essay by Julian Lucas
Published 11:43am PST

Yesterday the Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade sparked hundreds of protests cascaded across the United States. In Los Angeles demonstrators took to the streets and shut down a portion of the 110 Fwy temporarily affecting traffic making their way to the 101/10 Fwy east interchange marching eastbound, eventually being met by LAPD in full riot gear. In the later evening, the protest led to multiple arrests after LAPD prompted a tactical response. The protesters faced-off with LAPD in response to police confronting and targeting protesters and journalists.

Roe v. Wade was a 1973 historical decision from the Supreme Court which allowed unrestricted abortion access throughout the country. The ruling's reversal has been questioned since a leaked draft opinion of the Supreme Court's likely judgment in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was released.

Julian Lucas, is a photographer, creative strategist, and writer in training, but mostly a photographer. Julian also works as a housing specialist which, includes linking unhoused veterans to housing.

20 Pomona College Students Demonstrators Arrested and Face Suspension

Abortion Rights: Demonstrators Take to the Streets in Protest of SCOTUS Overturning Roe v. Wade