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Who are the activists who stormed, vandalized Cal Poly admin building?

June 5, 2025

Cal Poly SQE Instagram post asking students to reject President Jeffrey Armstrong

By KAREN VELIE

The end of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo school year was marked by a pro-Palestinian vandalism spree that left two activists facing multiple felony charges.

Five pro-Palestinian activists stormed into the administration building at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and spray-painted graffiti on walls, windows, furniture, computers, carpets and floors on Wednesday afternoon. While no one was physically harmed during the fracas, numerous Cal Poly employees and students were traumatized.

Following their vandalism spree in the university’s financial aid and student accounts office, the five intruders fled the scene. However, two of the vandals were identified and  taken into custody – 30-year-old Alejandro Bupara and 22-year-old Theodore Lee.

During the Black Lives Matter protests in 2021, as a senior at Cal Poly and a member of Students for Quality Education (Cal Poly SQE), Bupara participated in a sit in to “get cops off campus.”

During a pro-Palestinian protest at Cal Poly on Jan. 23, 2024, officers arrested Bupara on multiple charges of battery of a peace officer. Four months later, Bupara and others blocked the California Boulevard entrance to Cal Poly. He is facing charges of obstruction, unlawful assembly and riot after order to disperse.

As a student at Cal Poly, Lee also participated in the May 23, 2024 pro-Palestinian protest at the California Boulevard campus entrance. He was charged with unlawful assembly and obstruction of a thoroughfare.

The court granted Lee misdemeanor diversion in Dec. 2024, meaning he could divert his sentences for one year. During that time, the court required Lee to abide by all laws.

If he had successfully completed the diversion program, his case would be dismissed and the arrest would appear to have never occurred.

Two days ago, Cal Poly SQE made a post regarding the “last protest for Palestine of the school year.”

Cal Poly police officers booked both Bupara and Lee in the San Luis Obispo County Jail on Wednesday on charges of vandalism of over $400, conspiracy and for wearing a mask to evade recognition.

Shortly afterwards, Cal Poly SQE posted requests on Instagram and Reddit seeking financial donations for the arrestees’ bail and legal fees.

“Cal Poly and SLO community activists have been arrested protesting for a free Palestine,” according to the posts. “Please donate below to help support their legal fees.”

Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said there is no room on the Cal Poly campus for this type of behavior.

“We will not stand for illegal attacks against our institution, its employees and its students,” Armstrong wrote in an email to students. “Those participating in violence and criminal activity which endangers others will be expelled (if they are students), arrested and held fully accountable.”

Cal Poly investigators are asking anyone with information on the vandals or the incident to call the Cal Poly Police Department at (805) 756-2281.

“Anyone who views this kind of shortsighted, disgusting and illegal activity as acceptable has no place at Cal Poly and will be rooted out,” Armstrong added.

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if Calpoly is a sanctuary campus shouldn’t the jihad be encouraged? Very entertaining.


0

Need to get tough with these punks, especially Bupara.


7

Americans protested the Vietnam War despite the fact the Viet Cong used booby traps and any other means at their disposal to kill American boys. They made Hamas look like amateurs. 56,000 killed. Were those white Americans who protested our slaughter of the Vietnamese people also “punks”?


-1

The students in this country need to know that they will be punished if they speak out against genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid. Free speech yes, but not when it comes to criticizing Israel.


-16

At some point, Cal Poly will decide that “freedom of speech” will be superseded by scumbags who don’t belong here, hate America…. and are arrested or deported. This has to stop. No more Mr. Nice Guy.


54

Freedom of speech is getting way out of hand.


-11

Bupara participated in a sit in to “get cops off campus.” So how’d that turn out? Just one of the many examples.


41

I hope you were intending sarcasm. If not, you are mistaken to characterize the tactics & actions by the apologists for the terrorist Hamas death cult as “Free Speech”. Violence, vandalism, coercion, harassment, denying access to university facilities, confrontation & non-compliance with lawful orders by law enforcement personnel is not First Amendment protected free speech.


37

What makes you think he believes it was protected by 1st amendment? That is an assumption on your part. Most understand that the tactics of civil change require paying the current price tag for their action.


They understood they would be arrested marching across Selma bridge too. I am sure they were given lawful orders then as well.


He can do his time for his actions. I am sure he will say it was worth it.


0

Please don’t wait till this Bupara dude kills or seriously harms someone…lock him up until he learns right from wrong…


56

The Cal Poly motto, “learn by doing,” needs to be updated for these thugs to “learn by doing time.”


86

An education they will certainly get, legal expenses.


52

Killing kids and starving people and being a thought crime police force is worse than spray painting carpet… im sorry.


-119

You’re talking about Hamas right?


48

You should never feel sorry for being in favor of free speech and antiwar.

The down votes on your comment shows that most people are just uniformed.

If Americans Knew:


https://ifamericansknew.org/


-48

In the long term civilization and modernity will naturally prevail over barbarity and backwardness.


24

Free speech has never destroyed public property. If you only knew.


4

Criminal activity, destruction of government property, vandalism, disturbing the peace, trespassing, along with willful and intentional violence, has not one damn thing to do with any random screed about Gaza.


I never read any of your condemnation for the October 7th attacks, that preceded the necessary and predictable response from Israel.


One would think, that after nearly 80 years, the islamic world would discover that killing Jews, in Israel or anywhere, will result in thousands more muslims dying for their pitiful, and ignorant, cause.


But then, dying for their cause is exactly what they want. Because their book of lies composed by a liar, lies to them.


4

So let all crime b go unpunished because of reasons 5000 miles away? Childish logic


2