UC Santa Barbara’s MultiCultural Center remains temporarily closed following the Feb. 26 gathering and signage as of March 4 with no date of reopening confirmed by the university. 

UCSB temporarily suspended the MultiCultural Center (MCC) following pro-Palestine student activists posting signage that expressed solidarity with Palestine, dissent against university administration, Associated Students figures and Zionism. The posting drew a crowd of pro-Palestine and pro-Israel leaning students to gather at the center and escalating discourse resulted in the shutdown. 

The Nexus will continue to report on this topic as more information becomes available. Hanz Herman / Daily Nexus

The signage garnered polarizing reactions from the campus community and social media, leading to community backlash and several social media accounts doxxing campus faculty, staff and students. 

Affiliates of the MCC released an anonymous statement on an Instagram account on Feb. 29 to contextualize Monday’s gathering, and the Black studies department called for a day of interruption on March 7, condemning the suspension of the MCC and university leadership, in a March 2 statement. 

Though the university has not confirmed a date of reopening, university spokesperson Kiki Reyes said “there’s a great sense of urgency” to do so. 

“Student Affairs is working to resume activity and programming at the MultiCultural Center as soon as possible,” Reyes said in a statement to the Nexus. “There’s a great sense of urgency to resume activity at the Center because of its vital role in supporting underrepresented students and communities.” 

Student Affairs is planning for alternative spaces for marginalized communities to be offered this week. There were no further details on these spaces. 

“Student Affairs anticipates space for these foundational dialogues will be offered this week, which will mark the beginning of ongoing work to resume the MCC’s operations and fuller realization of its mission,” Reyes said. 

Reyes acknowledged the importance of the MCC to the campus community. 

“Given the nature of the MCC and the highly interdependent roles of career staff, student staff, and interns in bringing the mission of the MCC to life, it is Student Affairs goal to bring these groups back into a shared community and to facilitate reflection, healing, and shared understanding,” she said. 

The Nexus will continue to report on this topic as more information becomes available. 

A version of this article appeared on p. 1 of the March 7, 2024, print edition of the Daily Nexus.

Asumi Shuda

Asumi Shuda (they/them) is the Lead News Editor for the 2023-24 school year. Previously, Shuda was the Deputy News Editor, Community Outreach News Editor for the 2022-23 school year and the 2021-22 school year and an Assistant News Editor during the 2020-21 school year. They can be reached at asumishuda@dailynexus.com or news@dailynexus.com.