Ben Shapiro Rips UCLA for ‘Coddling’ Anti-Israel Protesters During Campus Speech

Ben Shapiro returned to UCLA, his alma mater, on Monday night to deliver a fiery speech that condemned the university’s handling of anti-Israel protests and the broader campus culture. Shapiro blasted the administration for allowing a new, short-lived anti-Israel encampment to form, labeling it a symptom of the “coddling of a generation of losers.”

During his speech, Shapiro fondly recalled his college days at UCLA but quickly turned to how the toxic politics on campus have intensified. He shared how his experiences with radical student groups, including the Muslim Students Association, pushed him from music and biology studies to becoming a conservative columnist. “The only thing that has changed is that it’s just gotten significantly worse and significantly more open,” Shapiro said. “The question becomes, why did it become so much worse? And the answer is that this university, among other universities, has decided to coddle an entire generation of losers.”

Shapiro pointed to the contradictions within anti-Israel movements, including the hypocrisy of groups like Queers for Palestine, as LGBTQ+ individuals are persecuted in Gaza. He also referenced UCLA’s controversial decision to allow last year’s anti-Israel encampments, which he derisively called the “tentafada,” blocking Jewish students from accessing parts of the campus. “They experience a certain joy living in their own feces,” Shapiro quipped, mocking the protestors.

As news broke that another anti-Israel encampment was forming outside during his speech, Shapiro was asked how the administration should respond. “If you violate the rules of the time, manner, and place restrictions, then you should be expelled,” he said. Shapiro didn’t hold back on his criticism, calling the encampment a “dumb, fake sukkah” where “fake Jews can go to celebrate fake Sukkot.”

UCLA’s history of handling anti-Israel protests has faced legal challenges, with a judge recently ruling that the university failed to protect Jewish students' rights. Shapiro referenced this ruling, lambasting the administration for allowing such protests to impede campus life and religious freedom.

A tense moment during the Q&A portion of the event came when a student questioned Shapiro’s support for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Shapiro responded firmly: “I don’t just condone the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces and the Israeli government, I celebrate and laud them.” When asked about calls for a ceasefire, Shapiro shot back, “I do not want a ceasefire until Hamas is destroyed and all of the hostages are back.”

Shapiro’s visit to UCLA wasn’t without obstacles. The university reportedly attempted to derail the event by blocking the ticketing platform and disrupting security plans. Further controversy erupted when a university employee was caught tearing down promotional posters before the event. Attendees were also blocked from entering the venue until Shapiro’s speech had already started, prompting accusations of administrative sabotage.

In the lead-up to his speech, Shapiro posted a scathing thread on X (formerly Twitter), accusing UCLA of becoming a “woke trash heap.” He cited various scandals and Daily Wire investigations, including the university’s focus on divisive DEI initiatives and bizarre identity politics like the promotion of “furries, kinksters, and monsterf*ckers” by the queer student magazine.

“UCLA has forgotten what it’s supposed to be,” Shapiro wrote. “It has become a service provider to woke students instead of an institution to prepare experts to be the next generation of doctors, surgeons, lawyers, engineers, and leaders.”

Shapiro’s unapologetic stance on Israel and his critique of leftist campus culture continues to resonate with conservative students, even as UCLA grapples with its reputation as a hub for radical activism.

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