The Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today raised concerns regarding a recent plea deal for a diversionary program for Malachi Marlan-Librett, who was identified as one of the perpetrators of violence against anti-genocide activists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)’s student led encampment last year.
SEE: Plea deal ends hate crime case from attack on pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA
On April 30, 2024, a group of pro-Israel extremists entered the UCLA campus and violently attacked peaceful protesters in the encampment for hours, injuring many students, faculty, and community members. The assailants shot fireworks at the protesters, attacked them with chemical weapons, metal rods, poles, and boards, engaged in psychological warfare, and attempted to tear down the encampment—all while the UCLA police department and private security companies stood by and watched.
Marlan-Librett was one of two suspects arrested in October 2024 in connection with the attack and was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, battery, and a hate crime for two different incidents on UCLA’s campus.
Recent reports state Marlan-Librett was given a plea deal to avoid jail time and have the charges dismissed after completing 90 hours of mandated therapy and anti-bias training. A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office reportedly said that Marlan-Librett’s “youth and lack of a criminal record” were among the factors considered in the plea deal.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Civil Rights Managing Attorney Dina Chehata, Esq., said:
“We are deeply concerned by the LA District Attorney’s decision to offer a lenient diversion plea in a violent hate crime that targeted Muslim, Palestinian, and anti-genocide protesters. This incident was one of the most visible and documented campus attacks in recent history. The District Attorney’s failure to pursue jail time and more serious charges is not only a slap on the wrist for the criminal, but a slap in the face of the dozens of students and community members who were assaulted and injured in those attacks.
“Diversion is not justice for a felony hate crime. This decision undermines the public’s trust in prosecutorial discretion and sets a dangerous precedent that there will be minimal consequences for hate-motivated violence on campus, especially against Muslim, Palestinian, and anti-genocide students, faculty, and community members who have already faced an alarming rise in hate and discrimination over the past 21 months. It signals to the victims that if they exercise their First Amendment rights on campus, those who disagree with them are free to violently attack them, and instead of being held to account, they will face little meaningful accountability.”
Attorney Ramsey Judah, who was a victim in the case, said:
“It is frustrating that violent Zionists in the U.S. get basically the same treatment as they do under their colonial apartheid system in occupied Palestine. This laughable plea deal just goes to show how disposable Palestinians are, both in their native homeland of Palestine and here in the U.S., despite the latter’s nauseating claims of being a land of ‘justice.’”
In March 2025, CAIR California, along with local civil rights attorneys and leading personal injury firms, filed a lawsuit against the UC Regents, three law enforcement agencies, and several individuals—including Marlan-Librett—who were involved in the violence against student protesters.
CAIR-LA is calling for transparency from the LA District Attorney’s office about whether the victims were consulted and what criteria was used to determine diversion in this case. It also calls on the District Attorney to commit to the equitable enforcement of the law, especially when victims are part of historically targeted communities.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Senior Communications Coordinator Madi Hameed, mmorse-hameed@cair.com