UCLA criticised for failure to stop raid on pro-Palestinian encampment at campus
Some pro-Palestinian demonstrators fought back, and skirmishes continued for hours before outside law enforcement agencies were called to intervene
AP/PTI
The call for more police intervention at UCLA stood in stark contrast to other campuses across the US, where officers’ actions were strongly condemned. At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, activists clashed with police officers.
The chaotic scenes unfolded early on Wednesday after the police burst into a building occupied by anti-war protesters at Columbia University on Tuesday night.
Some pro-Palestinian demonstrators fought back, and skirmishes continued for hours before outside law enforcement agencies were called to intervene
AP/PTI
Los Angeles
Published 03.05.24, 04:59 AM
University of California, Los AngelesFile image
Administrators and campus police at UCLA faced intense criticism Wednesday for failing to act quickly to stop an attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus by counter-demonstrators who threw traffic cones and chairs, released pepper spray and tore down barriers.
Some pro-Palestinian demonstrators fought back, and skirmishes continued for hours before outside law enforcement agencies were called to intervene.
No one was arrested, and at least 15 protesters suffered injuries in the confrontation, part of a recent spate of escalating violence that’s occurring on some college campuses nationally over the Israel-Hamas war.
“The community needs to feel the police are protecting them, not enabling others to harm them,” Rebecca Husaini, chief of staff for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said in a news conference on the Los Angeles campus later on Wednesday, where some Muslim students detailed the overnight events
University of California, Los AngelesFile image
Administrators and campus police at UCLA faced intense criticism Wednesday for failing to act quickly to stop an attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus by counter-demonstrators who threw traffic cones and chairs, released pepper spray and tore down barriers.
Some pro-Palestinian demonstrators fought back, and skirmishes continued for hours before outside law enforcement agencies were called to intervene.
No one was arrested, and at least 15 protesters suffered injuries in the confrontation, part of a recent spate of escalating violence that’s occurring on some college campuses nationally over the Israel-Hamas war.
“The community needs to feel the police are protecting them, not enabling others to harm them,” Rebecca Husaini, chief of staff for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said in a news conference on the Los Angeles campus later on Wednesday, where some Muslim students detailed the overnight events
The call for more police intervention at UCLA stood in stark contrast to other campuses across the US, where officers’ actions were strongly condemned. At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, activists clashed with police officers.
The chaotic scenes unfolded early on Wednesday after the police burst into a building occupied by anti-war protesters at Columbia University on Tuesday night.
ByNichola Groom and Maria Tsvetkova
Updated May 2, 2024 —
KEY POINTS
Police deployed after UCLA pro-Palestinian encampment attacked.
UCLA Chancellor said “a group of instigators” came on campus to attack the encampment.
At New York’s Columbia University and nearby City College, some 300 people were arrested.
Los Angeles: Mounting tensions on US campuses boiled over on Wednesday when pro-Israel supporters attacked an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles hours after police arrested activists who occupied a building at Columbia University and flattened a tent city on its campus.
Eyewitness videos from UCLA, verified by Reuters, showed people wielding sticks and poles to hammer on wooden boards being used as makeshift barricades to protect the pro-Palestinian protesters before police were called to the campus.
Police arrived donning riot gear and warning over loudspeakers that anyone who refused to leave faced arrest.
Demonstrators clash at a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA early Wednesday in Los Angeles. CREDIT:AP
On the other side of the country, scores of New York City police officers in helmets and armour arrested pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupying an academic building at Columbia University.
Undergraduate students watching the extraordinary scene, many jeering at the police, fled into nearby buildings on the command of officers as police also cleared out a nearby protest encampment that had inspired similar protests at campuses across the country and abroad.
Police arrested about 300 people at Columbia and City College of New York, Mayor Eric Adams said. Many were charged with trespassing and criminal mischief.
The clashes at UCLA and in New York are part of the biggest outpouring of US student activism since the anti-racism rallies and marches of 2020.
The protests follow the October 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip and the ensuing Israeli offensive on the Palestinian enclave.
Students have rallied or set up encampments at dozens of colleges, expressing opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza and demanding schools divest from companies that support the Israeli government. Many of the schools have called in police to quell the protests.
With the presidential election coming in November, Republican legislators have accused some university administrators of ignoring antisemitic rhetoric and harassment, and some have demanded Columbia’s president Minouche Shafik resign.
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The pro-Palestine wave tearing some of America’s most prestigious universities apart
Many protesters, some of whom are Jewish, reject allegations of antisemitism. Shafik has said the protests have brought rancour to life at Columbia, while also blaming some episodes of harassment and hostile rhetoric on outsiders drawn to the busy Manhattan streets surrounding the campus.
US President Joe Biden, who has angered many protesters by funding and arming Israel, plans to give a speech on antisemitism next week at a Holocaust memorial event.
“Americans have the right to peacefully protest,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson, told reporters. “Forcibly taking over a building is not peaceful.”
UCLA protesters report violent attacks
Before the clashes in Los Angeles, UCLA officials declared that an encampment on its campus was unlawful, violated university policy and included people unaffiliated with the campus.
Play video
2:36
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators and police clash at US campuses
Violence erupts at US university campuses as police and pro-Palestinian protesters clash.
Afterwards, counter-demonstrators – many of them masked and some apparently older than most students – can be seen in videos throwing objects and trying to smash or pull down the wooden and steel barriers erected to shield the encampment.
Some screamed pro-Jewish comments as pro-Palestinian protesters tried to fight them off.
“I just didn’t think they would ever get to this,” said Kaia Shah, a pro-Palestinian protester and researcher at UCLA, “where our protest is met by counter-protesters who are violently hurting us, inflicting pain on us, when we are not doing anything to them.”
Demonstrators on both sides used pepper spray, and fights broke out. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators said the counter-protesters threw fireworks at them and beat them with bats and sticks.
Eyewitness videos from UCLA, verified by Reuters, showed people wielding sticks and poles to hammer on wooden boards being used as makeshift barricades to protect the pro-Palestinian protesters before police were called to the campus.
Police arrived donning riot gear and warning over loudspeakers that anyone who refused to leave faced arrest.
Demonstrators clash at a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA early Wednesday in Los Angeles. CREDIT:AP
On the other side of the country, scores of New York City police officers in helmets and armour arrested pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupying an academic building at Columbia University.
Undergraduate students watching the extraordinary scene, many jeering at the police, fled into nearby buildings on the command of officers as police also cleared out a nearby protest encampment that had inspired similar protests at campuses across the country and abroad.
Police arrested about 300 people at Columbia and City College of New York, Mayor Eric Adams said. Many were charged with trespassing and criminal mischief.
The clashes at UCLA and in New York are part of the biggest outpouring of US student activism since the anti-racism rallies and marches of 2020.
The protests follow the October 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip and the ensuing Israeli offensive on the Palestinian enclave.
Students have rallied or set up encampments at dozens of colleges, expressing opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza and demanding schools divest from companies that support the Israeli government. Many of the schools have called in police to quell the protests.
With the presidential election coming in November, Republican legislators have accused some university administrators of ignoring antisemitic rhetoric and harassment, and some have demanded Columbia’s president Minouche Shafik resign.
RELATED ARTICLE
The pro-Palestine wave tearing some of America’s most prestigious universities apart
Many protesters, some of whom are Jewish, reject allegations of antisemitism. Shafik has said the protests have brought rancour to life at Columbia, while also blaming some episodes of harassment and hostile rhetoric on outsiders drawn to the busy Manhattan streets surrounding the campus.
US President Joe Biden, who has angered many protesters by funding and arming Israel, plans to give a speech on antisemitism next week at a Holocaust memorial event.
“Americans have the right to peacefully protest,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson, told reporters. “Forcibly taking over a building is not peaceful.”
UCLA protesters report violent attacks
Before the clashes in Los Angeles, UCLA officials declared that an encampment on its campus was unlawful, violated university policy and included people unaffiliated with the campus.
Play video
2:36
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators and police clash at US campuses
Violence erupts at US university campuses as police and pro-Palestinian protesters clash.
Afterwards, counter-demonstrators – many of them masked and some apparently older than most students – can be seen in videos throwing objects and trying to smash or pull down the wooden and steel barriers erected to shield the encampment.
Some screamed pro-Jewish comments as pro-Palestinian protesters tried to fight them off.
“I just didn’t think they would ever get to this,” said Kaia Shah, a pro-Palestinian protester and researcher at UCLA, “where our protest is met by counter-protesters who are violently hurting us, inflicting pain on us, when we are not doing anything to them.”
Demonstrators on both sides used pepper spray, and fights broke out. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators said the counter-protesters threw fireworks at them and beat them with bats and sticks.
Demonstrators clash at a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA on Wednesday.
CREDIT:AP
Benjamin Kersten, a UCLA graduate student and member of the pro-Palestinian group Jewish Voice for Peace, called it “a devastating night of violence”.
“The encampment would be a peaceful effort were it not for the continuous presence of counter-protesters and agitators,” he wrote in a text message.
“While Congress holds more hearings on whether Jewish students feel safe enough on campuses, Jewish students are among those withstanding attacks from Zionist protesters,” he said in reference to recent sessions held by a Republican-led House of Representatives committee.
Sympathy for the injured
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement on Wednesday (US time) that “a group of instigators” came on campus to “forcefully attack” the pro-Palestinian encampment, prompting the school to ask for assistance from outside law enforcement agencies.
“However one feels about the encampment, this attack on our students, faculty and community members was utterly unacceptable,” Block said.
“It has shaken our campus to its core and — adding to other abhorrent incidents that we have witnessed and that have circulated on social media over the past several days — further damaged our community’s sense of security.”
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Inside the growing protest tent cities of Melbourne and Monash universities
Block offered his sympathy to those who were injured and anyone who feels unsafe on campus.
He promised the university will conduct a thorough investigation that he said may lead to arrests, expulsions and dismissals. In addition, Block said the administration is examining its own security response.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also called for an investigation into the events on UCLA’s campus.
“Those involved in launching fireworks at other people, spraying chemicals and physically assaulting others will be found, arrested, and prosecuted, as well as anyone involved in any form of violence or lawlessness,” she said.
Police said UCLA had called them to restore order and maintain public safety “due to multiple acts of violence” within the encampment.
Broadcast footage later showed police clearing a central quad beside the encampment and erecting a metal crowd control barrier in front of it.
The atmosphere was calmer later on Wednesday. Hundreds of police officers were on campus and lining its perimeter. It was unclear how many arrests were made or the number of people injured.
Benjamin Kersten, a UCLA graduate student and member of the pro-Palestinian group Jewish Voice for Peace, called it “a devastating night of violence”.
“The encampment would be a peaceful effort were it not for the continuous presence of counter-protesters and agitators,” he wrote in a text message.
“While Congress holds more hearings on whether Jewish students feel safe enough on campuses, Jewish students are among those withstanding attacks from Zionist protesters,” he said in reference to recent sessions held by a Republican-led House of Representatives committee.
Sympathy for the injured
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement on Wednesday (US time) that “a group of instigators” came on campus to “forcefully attack” the pro-Palestinian encampment, prompting the school to ask for assistance from outside law enforcement agencies.
“However one feels about the encampment, this attack on our students, faculty and community members was utterly unacceptable,” Block said.
“It has shaken our campus to its core and — adding to other abhorrent incidents that we have witnessed and that have circulated on social media over the past several days — further damaged our community’s sense of security.”
RELATED ARTICLE
Inside the growing protest tent cities of Melbourne and Monash universities
Block offered his sympathy to those who were injured and anyone who feels unsafe on campus.
He promised the university will conduct a thorough investigation that he said may lead to arrests, expulsions and dismissals. In addition, Block said the administration is examining its own security response.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also called for an investigation into the events on UCLA’s campus.
“Those involved in launching fireworks at other people, spraying chemicals and physically assaulting others will be found, arrested, and prosecuted, as well as anyone involved in any form of violence or lawlessness,” she said.
Police said UCLA had called them to restore order and maintain public safety “due to multiple acts of violence” within the encampment.
Broadcast footage later showed police clearing a central quad beside the encampment and erecting a metal crowd control barrier in front of it.
The atmosphere was calmer later on Wednesday. Hundreds of police officers were on campus and lining its perimeter. It was unclear how many arrests were made or the number of people injured.
Columbia demonstrators arrested
Columbia’s Shafik said she had asked police to stay on campus until at least May 17, two days after graduation, and the main campus, where student dorms are located, remained under lockdown on Wednesday. The school said the rest of the semester would be conducted remotely, including final exams, some of which may be delayed.
Ararat Sekeryan, a sixth-year Slavic languages doctoral student from Istanbul, described being pushed out of the lawn encampment and described the calling of police as dangerous.
“I myself felt attacked,” he said. “They were so afraid of this peaceful movement that they had to send more than a thousand, maybe hundreds of police to campus.”
Ben Solomon, a 22-year-old Jewish student at Columbia, said he welcomed the move to clear what he called a “mob” from the occupied building and encampment.
“I’m glad to see universities took decisive action,” he said, as more than 100 students and professors gathered in a street adjoining the campus to protest the school’s decision to call the police.
Shafik said the events filled her “with deep sadness”.
“I am sorry we reached this point,” she wrote in an email to the university community on Wednesday, promising efforts to reunite a frayed campus.
The university earlier warned that students taking part in the occupation faced academic expulsion.
Reuters, AP
Jewish UCLA students face down the campus protests: 'The Jewish people need a voice'
UCLA undergrad Eli Tsives says students who support Palestinians call for intifadas tied to genocide, but urges the Jewish community not to be intimidated; Elinor was assaulted by protesters
Ayala Or-El, Daniel Edelson, New York|
“I have a very simple response to that: Shame on them. These are not peaceful protesters. They are breaking the law, calling for intifadas, which entail the genocide of Jews. The administration is well within their legal right to call upon UCPD [University of California Police Department] or LAPD to come and remove and arrest all the protestors. The fact that they are not doing it shows how scared they are of the mob,” he said.
Despite it all, Tsives says that he doesn't regret his decision to study at UCLA.
“I do not regret a single second of it,” he said. “The Jewish people, especially Jewish students, need a voice. They need someone to demonstrate that there’s no reason to fear these bullies, that we cannot yield to their intimidation. This is my voice, and if my face becomes the face of that voice, so be it. I view this as a blessing in disguise. I have people walking up to me and thanking me saying that my courage encouraging them to also be courageous and speak up. I hope to see the day when Jewish students can walk on campus with a Star of David without fear.
On Sunday, thousands of pro-Israel protesters gathered at UCLA, waving flags of Israel and the U.S. in solidarity with Jewish students. They chanted and held up their flags while a few meters away, separated by a barricade, stood the opposing protesters.
Ruth Sonbolian was there with her children when her 20-year-old daughter was brutally attacked. "My younger daughter dropped her flag, and once they noticed it, they swarmed into our section and began stomping on it. When my older daughter Elinor bent down to retrieve it, they started kicking the flag and her head,” Sonbolian said.
Distraught, she rushed to help her daughter but was forcefully pushed back. I fell to the ground and witnessed my daughter being thrown into the air and crashing onto the asphalt. My son helped her up. She briefly lost consciousness. We called the police and an ambulance, but they refused to come,” she said.
Sonbolian explained that the police informed her they couldn't enter the campus and instructed her to get her daughter out in order to receive assistance. “With the help of Hatzalah, we took her out, and she was admitted to the emergency room at UCLA. She couldn’t sleep all night due to pain and trauma. When I questioned the LAPD about their inaction, they callously stated that they didn’t want to provoke riots or violence in the town. They seemed indifferent to the potential loss of Jewish lives in the process,” she said.
UCLA undergrad Eli Tsives says students who support Palestinians call for intifadas tied to genocide, but urges the Jewish community not to be intimidated; Elinor was assaulted by protesters
Ayala Or-El, Daniel Edelson, New York|
YNET, JERUSALEM
Eli Tsives, 19, a student majoring in theater and film at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), tried to attend a class on campus this week but was blocked from entering the building by several students wrapped in keffiyehs and wearing face masks. Tsives, who was wearing a Star of David necklace, showed his student ID and asked to be allowed to pass, but they stood firm and blocked his path.
Tsives, in his first year at the university, says he feels increasingly unsafe on campus. He noted that the administration is failing to protect Jewish students who face verbal and physical hate incidents daily. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian anti-Israel student protesters set up camp on Bruin Walk, painting a large Star of David with the message: "Stay Away."
"They equate the Star of David with a swastika and defile our beautiful campus with graffiti," Tsives said. Tsives uploaded a video to Instagram, which quickly went viral, boosting his follower count from 1,000 to 20,000 overnight. However, this publicity comes at a cost.
"They now know where I live. My family and others are helping me with personal security because things spiraled out of control," he said.
Tsives complained to the administration but received the baffling response that they had no intention of removing the "peaceful protesters."
Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian protests
(Photo: Michael Marom)
Eli Tsives, 19, a student majoring in theater and film at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), tried to attend a class on campus this week but was blocked from entering the building by several students wrapped in keffiyehs and wearing face masks. Tsives, who was wearing a Star of David necklace, showed his student ID and asked to be allowed to pass, but they stood firm and blocked his path.
Tsives, in his first year at the university, says he feels increasingly unsafe on campus. He noted that the administration is failing to protect Jewish students who face verbal and physical hate incidents daily. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian anti-Israel student protesters set up camp on Bruin Walk, painting a large Star of David with the message: "Stay Away."
"They equate the Star of David with a swastika and defile our beautiful campus with graffiti," Tsives said. Tsives uploaded a video to Instagram, which quickly went viral, boosting his follower count from 1,000 to 20,000 overnight. However, this publicity comes at a cost.
"They now know where I live. My family and others are helping me with personal security because things spiraled out of control," he said.
Tsives complained to the administration but received the baffling response that they had no intention of removing the "peaceful protesters."
Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian protests
(Photo: Michael Marom)
“I have a very simple response to that: Shame on them. These are not peaceful protesters. They are breaking the law, calling for intifadas, which entail the genocide of Jews. The administration is well within their legal right to call upon UCPD [University of California Police Department] or LAPD to come and remove and arrest all the protestors. The fact that they are not doing it shows how scared they are of the mob,” he said.
Despite it all, Tsives says that he doesn't regret his decision to study at UCLA.
“I do not regret a single second of it,” he said. “The Jewish people, especially Jewish students, need a voice. They need someone to demonstrate that there’s no reason to fear these bullies, that we cannot yield to their intimidation. This is my voice, and if my face becomes the face of that voice, so be it. I view this as a blessing in disguise. I have people walking up to me and thanking me saying that my courage encouraging them to also be courageous and speak up. I hope to see the day when Jewish students can walk on campus with a Star of David without fear.
On Sunday, thousands of pro-Israel protesters gathered at UCLA, waving flags of Israel and the U.S. in solidarity with Jewish students. They chanted and held up their flags while a few meters away, separated by a barricade, stood the opposing protesters.
Ruth Sonbolian was there with her children when her 20-year-old daughter was brutally attacked. "My younger daughter dropped her flag, and once they noticed it, they swarmed into our section and began stomping on it. When my older daughter Elinor bent down to retrieve it, they started kicking the flag and her head,” Sonbolian said.
Distraught, she rushed to help her daughter but was forcefully pushed back. I fell to the ground and witnessed my daughter being thrown into the air and crashing onto the asphalt. My son helped her up. She briefly lost consciousness. We called the police and an ambulance, but they refused to come,” she said.
Sonbolian explained that the police informed her they couldn't enter the campus and instructed her to get her daughter out in order to receive assistance. “With the help of Hatzalah, we took her out, and she was admitted to the emergency room at UCLA. She couldn’t sleep all night due to pain and trauma. When I questioned the LAPD about their inaction, they callously stated that they didn’t want to provoke riots or violence in the town. They seemed indifferent to the potential loss of Jewish lives in the process,” she said.
Student protestors watched by snipers as police enter pro-Palestine camps
Sarah Hooper
Sarah Hooper
Published May 2, 2024
Barricades have been made of ply wood and miscellaneous materials (Picture: Reuters)
A second night of violence has been unleashed on the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) as police have begun to be descend on a pro-Palestine encampment.
Students have been fortifying their barricades in preparation for another night of conflict as they attempt to hold their ground as sign of protest.
Those within the walls of the encampment are wearing helmets, goggles and prepping medical aide – with student doctors reportedly on site to help.
Los Angeles Police have reportedly made a dispersal announcement to protestors in the encampment – thought to be in the hundreds. ‘You risk serious injury,’ one announcement reportedly said.
A second night of violence has been unleashed on the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) as police have begun to be descend on a pro-Palestine encampment.
Students have been fortifying their barricades in preparation for another night of conflict as they attempt to hold their ground as sign of protest.
Those within the walls of the encampment are wearing helmets, goggles and prepping medical aide – with student doctors reportedly on site to help.
Los Angeles Police have reportedly made a dispersal announcement to protestors in the encampment – thought to be in the hundreds. ‘You risk serious injury,’ one announcement reportedly said.
Those within the walls of the encampment were heard chanting ‘We’re not leaving!’ and ‘Shame on you LAPD’ in response to the dispersal order, which has threatened those inside with arrest.
Earlier reports appeared to show snipers on surrounding buildings near the encampment – identified by Metro.co.uk as being in Royce Hall, next to the square where protestors are gathered.
The protests on UCLA campus have been going on for weeks (Picture: Reuters)
Security footage appears to show LAPD snipers taking positions on roofs (Picture: X)
Students have been (Picture: Reuters)
A California Highway Patrol helicopter is currently circling the campus, from which announcements are being made.
The Daily Bruin, UCLA’s student paper, is reporting live from the ground and said earlier: ‘A medic in the encampment said LAPD told medical staff in the area to be prepared by 1 a.m.’
Yesterday, violent scenes began unfolding at UCLA – with footage showing a protestor being hit by a wooden pallet someone threw at him.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter is currently circling the campus, from which announcements are being made.
The Daily Bruin, UCLA’s student paper, is reporting live from the ground and said earlier: ‘A medic in the encampment said LAPD told medical staff in the area to be prepared by 1 a.m.’
Yesterday, violent scenes began unfolding at UCLA – with footage showing a protestor being hit by a wooden pallet someone threw at him.
More than 1,000 protesters have been arrested over the last two weeks on university campuses in Texas, Utah, Virginia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Connecticut, Louisiana, California and New Jersey.
The reasons behind the protest vary slightly, but overall agree that the US should end military support to Israel.
Some university students, such as those at Columbia, are demanding their schools sever any financial ties to Israel and other companies involved directly in the conflict.
Hundreds of police file onto UCLA near pro-Palestinian protest camp, a day after violent clashes
02 May 2024
BY LISA RICHWINE AND OMAR YOUNIS
Law enforcement officers stand guard in front of protesters supporting Palestinians in Gaza, at an encampment at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), as the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Los Angeles, California, US, May 1, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci
02 May 2024
BY LISA RICHWINE AND OMAR YOUNIS
Law enforcement officers stand guard in front of protesters supporting Palestinians in Gaza, at an encampment at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), as the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Los Angeles, California, US, May 1, 2024.
Image: REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci
Police begin removing barricades at a pro-Palestinian demonstrators' encampment at UCLA
By KRYSTA FAURIA, ETHAN SWOPE, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and JOSEPH B. FREDERICK,
By KRYSTA FAURIA, ETHAN SWOPE, JAKE OFFENHARTZ and JOSEPH B. FREDERICK,
Associated Press
May 2, 2024
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police removed barricades and began dismantling a pro-Palestinian demonstrators’ fortified encampment early Thursday at the UCLA campus after hundreds of protesters defied police orders to leave, about 24 hours after counter-protesters attacked a tent encampment on the campus.
The law enforcement effort comes after officers spent hours threatening arrests over loud speakers if people did not disperse. Hundreds of people had gathered on campus, both inside a barricaded tent encampment and outside of it in support.
The sound of flash bangs could be heard as police moved in.
Police methodically ripped apart the encampment’s barricade of plywood, pallets, metal fences and trash dumpsters and made an opening toward dozens of tents of demonstrators. Police also began to pull down canopies and tents.
Demonstrators were holding umbrellas like shields as they faced off with dozens of officers. Some of the protesters warned their fellow demonstrators to be ready with water in case police release tear gas or other irritant.
The police action occurred a night after the UCLA administration and campus police waited hours to stop the counter-protesters’ attack. The delay drew condemnation from Muslim students and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Demonstrators rebuilt the makeshift barriers around their tents on Wednesday aftenoon while state and campus police watched.
Tent encampments of protesters calling on universities to stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support the war in Gaza have spread across campuses nationwide in a student movement unlike any other this century. The ensuing police crackdowns echoed actions decades ago against a much larger protest movement protesting the Vietnam War.
The tense standoff at UCLA came one night after violence instigated by counter-protesters erupted in the same place.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters Thursday remained behind barricades on the UCLA campus despite police orders to leave as officers were poised to move in on their fortified encampment that was ringed by an even larger crowd, including supporters who locked arms and curious onlookers.
Shortly before 2 a.m., police briefly made their way into the perimeter of the encampment only to retreat after being outnumbered by scores of protesters who yelled “shame on you!” Some in the crowd tossed water bottles and other objects as dozens of officers ran back.
Later the crowd chanted “we're not leaving. You don't scare us.”
Armed with batons and in full riot gear, California Highway Patrol officers returned about an hour later and stood within feet of scores of protesters, who threw objects and yelled. More than 100 protesters moved from the stairs leading down from the encampment to block a side entrance to the encampment where police were advancing.
Law enforcement made a massive display, sending in columns of officers who were closing in on all sides of the encampment. Members of the crowd flashed lights in the officers faces and screamed insults at them.
The huge numbers of police began arriving late in the afternoon Wednesday and issued the dispersal order. Empty buses were parked near the University of California, Los Angeles, to take away protesters who don't comply with the order.
Tent encampments of protesters calling on universities to stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support the war in Gaza have spread across campuses nationwide in a student movement unlike any other this century. The ensuing police crackdowns echoed actions decades ago against a much larger protest movement protesting the Vietnam War.
The tense standoff at UCLA came one night after violence instigated by counter-protesters erupted in the same place.
The law enforcement presence and continued warnings stood in contrast to the scene that unfolded the night before, when counter-demonstrators attacked the pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing traffic cones, releasing pepper spray and tearing down barriers. Fighting continued for several hours before police stepped in, though no arrests were made. At least 15 protesters suffered injuries, and the tepid response by authorities drew criticism from political leaders as well as Muslim students and advocacy groups.
By Wednesday afternoon a small city sprang up inside the reenforced encampment, now full of hundreds of people and tents on the campus quad. Some protesters said Muslim prayers as the sun set over the campus, while others chanted “we’re not leaving” or passed out goggles and surgical masks. They wore helmets and headscarves, and discussed the best ways to handle pepper spray or tear gas as someone sang over a megaphone.
A few constructed homemade shields out of plywood in case they clashed with police forming skirmish lines elsewhere on the campus. “For rubber bullets, who wants a shield?" a protester called out.
Outside the encampment, a crowd of students, alumni and neighbors gathered on campus steps, joining in pro-Palestinian chants. A group of students holding signs and wearing T-shirts in support of Israel and Jewish people demonstrated nearby.
The crowd continued to grow as the night wore on as more and more officers poured onto campus.
Ray Wiliani, who lives nearby, said he came to UCLA on Wednesday evening to support the pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
“We need to take a stand for it,” he said. “Enough is enough.”
Elsewhere, police in New Hampshire said they made 90 arrests and took down tents at Dartmouth College and officers in Oregon came onto the campus at Portland State University as school officials sought to end the occupation of the library that started Monday.
The chaotic scenes at UCLA came after New York police burst into a building occupied by anti-war protesters at Columbia University on Tuesday night, breaking up a demonstration that had paralyzed the school.
An Associated Press tally counted at least 38 times since April 18 where arrests were made at campus protests across the U.S. More than 1,600 people have been arrested at 30 schools.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement that “a group of instigators” perpetrated the previous night's attack, but he did not provide details about the crowd or why the administration and school police did not act sooner.
“However one feels about the encampment, this attack on our students, faculty and community members was utterly unacceptable,” he said. “It has shaken our campus to its core.”
Block promised a review of the night's events after California Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced the delays.
The head of the University of California system, Michael Drake, ordered an “independent review of the university’s planning, its actions and the response by law enforcement.”
“The community needs to feel the police are protecting them, not enabling others to harm them,” Rebecca Husaini, chief of staff for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said in a news conference on the Los Angeles campus Wednesday.
Speakers disputed the university’s account that 15 people were injured and one hospitalized, saying the number of people taken to the hospital was higher. One student described needing to go to the hospital after being hit in the head by an object wielded by counter-protesters.
Several students who spoke during the news conference said they had to rely on each other, not the police, for support as they were attacked, and that many in the pro-Palestinian encampment remained peaceful and did not engage with counter-protesters. UCLA canceled classes Wednesday.
In Madison, a scrum broke out early Wednesday after police with shields removed all but one tent and shoved protesters. Four officers were injured, including a state trooper who was hit in the head with a skateboard, authorities said. Four were charged with battering law enforcement.
This is all playing out in an election year in the U.S., raising questions about whether young voters — who are critical for Democrats — will back President Joe Biden's reelection effort, given his staunch support of Israel.
In rare instances, university officials and protest leaders struck agreements to restrict the disruption to campus life and upcoming commencement ceremonies.
At Brown University in Rhode Island, administrators agreed to consider a vote to divest from Israel in October — apparently the first U.S. college to agree to such a demand.
The nationwide campus demonstrations began at Columbia on April 17 to protest Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which followed Hamas launching a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. Vowing to stamp out Hamas, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the Health Ministry there.
Israel and its supporters have branded the university protests antisemitic, while Israel’s critics say it uses those allegations to silence opposition. Although some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, organizers of the protests, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at defending Palestinian rights and protesting the war.
Meanwhile, protest encampments elsewhere were cleared by the police, resulting in arrests, or closed up voluntarily at schools across the U.S., including The City College of New York, Fordham University in New York, Portland State in Oregon, Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona and Tulane University in New Orleans.
___
Offenhartz and Frederick reported from New York. Associated Press journalists around the country contributed to this report, including John Antczak, Christopher L. Keller, Lisa Baumann, Cedar Attanasio, Jonathan Mattise, Stefanie Dazio, Jae C. Hong, Colleen Long, Karen Matthews, Sarah Brumfield, Carolyn Thompson, Philip Marcelo, Corey Williams and Felicia Fonseca.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police removed barricades and began dismantling a pro-Palestinian demonstrators’ fortified encampment early Thursday at the UCLA campus after hundreds of protesters defied police orders to leave, about 24 hours after counter-protesters attacked a tent encampment on the campus.
The law enforcement effort comes after officers spent hours threatening arrests over loud speakers if people did not disperse. Hundreds of people had gathered on campus, both inside a barricaded tent encampment and outside of it in support.
The sound of flash bangs could be heard as police moved in.
Police methodically ripped apart the encampment’s barricade of plywood, pallets, metal fences and trash dumpsters and made an opening toward dozens of tents of demonstrators. Police also began to pull down canopies and tents.
Demonstrators were holding umbrellas like shields as they faced off with dozens of officers. Some of the protesters warned their fellow demonstrators to be ready with water in case police release tear gas or other irritant.
The police action occurred a night after the UCLA administration and campus police waited hours to stop the counter-protesters’ attack. The delay drew condemnation from Muslim students and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Demonstrators rebuilt the makeshift barriers around their tents on Wednesday aftenoon while state and campus police watched.
Tent encampments of protesters calling on universities to stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support the war in Gaza have spread across campuses nationwide in a student movement unlike any other this century. The ensuing police crackdowns echoed actions decades ago against a much larger protest movement protesting the Vietnam War.
The tense standoff at UCLA came one night after violence instigated by counter-protesters erupted in the same place.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters Thursday remained behind barricades on the UCLA campus despite police orders to leave as officers were poised to move in on their fortified encampment that was ringed by an even larger crowd, including supporters who locked arms and curious onlookers.
Shortly before 2 a.m., police briefly made their way into the perimeter of the encampment only to retreat after being outnumbered by scores of protesters who yelled “shame on you!” Some in the crowd tossed water bottles and other objects as dozens of officers ran back.
Later the crowd chanted “we're not leaving. You don't scare us.”
Armed with batons and in full riot gear, California Highway Patrol officers returned about an hour later and stood within feet of scores of protesters, who threw objects and yelled. More than 100 protesters moved from the stairs leading down from the encampment to block a side entrance to the encampment where police were advancing.
Law enforcement made a massive display, sending in columns of officers who were closing in on all sides of the encampment. Members of the crowd flashed lights in the officers faces and screamed insults at them.
The huge numbers of police began arriving late in the afternoon Wednesday and issued the dispersal order. Empty buses were parked near the University of California, Los Angeles, to take away protesters who don't comply with the order.
Tent encampments of protesters calling on universities to stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support the war in Gaza have spread across campuses nationwide in a student movement unlike any other this century. The ensuing police crackdowns echoed actions decades ago against a much larger protest movement protesting the Vietnam War.
The tense standoff at UCLA came one night after violence instigated by counter-protesters erupted in the same place.
The law enforcement presence and continued warnings stood in contrast to the scene that unfolded the night before, when counter-demonstrators attacked the pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing traffic cones, releasing pepper spray and tearing down barriers. Fighting continued for several hours before police stepped in, though no arrests were made. At least 15 protesters suffered injuries, and the tepid response by authorities drew criticism from political leaders as well as Muslim students and advocacy groups.
By Wednesday afternoon a small city sprang up inside the reenforced encampment, now full of hundreds of people and tents on the campus quad. Some protesters said Muslim prayers as the sun set over the campus, while others chanted “we’re not leaving” or passed out goggles and surgical masks. They wore helmets and headscarves, and discussed the best ways to handle pepper spray or tear gas as someone sang over a megaphone.
A few constructed homemade shields out of plywood in case they clashed with police forming skirmish lines elsewhere on the campus. “For rubber bullets, who wants a shield?" a protester called out.
Outside the encampment, a crowd of students, alumni and neighbors gathered on campus steps, joining in pro-Palestinian chants. A group of students holding signs and wearing T-shirts in support of Israel and Jewish people demonstrated nearby.
The crowd continued to grow as the night wore on as more and more officers poured onto campus.
Ray Wiliani, who lives nearby, said he came to UCLA on Wednesday evening to support the pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
“We need to take a stand for it,” he said. “Enough is enough.”
Elsewhere, police in New Hampshire said they made 90 arrests and took down tents at Dartmouth College and officers in Oregon came onto the campus at Portland State University as school officials sought to end the occupation of the library that started Monday.
The chaotic scenes at UCLA came after New York police burst into a building occupied by anti-war protesters at Columbia University on Tuesday night, breaking up a demonstration that had paralyzed the school.
An Associated Press tally counted at least 38 times since April 18 where arrests were made at campus protests across the U.S. More than 1,600 people have been arrested at 30 schools.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement that “a group of instigators” perpetrated the previous night's attack, but he did not provide details about the crowd or why the administration and school police did not act sooner.
“However one feels about the encampment, this attack on our students, faculty and community members was utterly unacceptable,” he said. “It has shaken our campus to its core.”
Block promised a review of the night's events after California Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced the delays.
The head of the University of California system, Michael Drake, ordered an “independent review of the university’s planning, its actions and the response by law enforcement.”
“The community needs to feel the police are protecting them, not enabling others to harm them,” Rebecca Husaini, chief of staff for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said in a news conference on the Los Angeles campus Wednesday.
Speakers disputed the university’s account that 15 people were injured and one hospitalized, saying the number of people taken to the hospital was higher. One student described needing to go to the hospital after being hit in the head by an object wielded by counter-protesters.
Several students who spoke during the news conference said they had to rely on each other, not the police, for support as they were attacked, and that many in the pro-Palestinian encampment remained peaceful and did not engage with counter-protesters. UCLA canceled classes Wednesday.
In Madison, a scrum broke out early Wednesday after police with shields removed all but one tent and shoved protesters. Four officers were injured, including a state trooper who was hit in the head with a skateboard, authorities said. Four were charged with battering law enforcement.
This is all playing out in an election year in the U.S., raising questions about whether young voters — who are critical for Democrats — will back President Joe Biden's reelection effort, given his staunch support of Israel.
In rare instances, university officials and protest leaders struck agreements to restrict the disruption to campus life and upcoming commencement ceremonies.
At Brown University in Rhode Island, administrators agreed to consider a vote to divest from Israel in October — apparently the first U.S. college to agree to such a demand.
The nationwide campus demonstrations began at Columbia on April 17 to protest Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which followed Hamas launching a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. Vowing to stamp out Hamas, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the Health Ministry there.
Israel and its supporters have branded the university protests antisemitic, while Israel’s critics say it uses those allegations to silence opposition. Although some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, organizers of the protests, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at defending Palestinian rights and protesting the war.
Meanwhile, protest encampments elsewhere were cleared by the police, resulting in arrests, or closed up voluntarily at schools across the U.S., including The City College of New York, Fordham University in New York, Portland State in Oregon, Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona and Tulane University in New Orleans.
___
Offenhartz and Frederick reported from New York. Associated Press journalists around the country contributed to this report, including John Antczak, Christopher L. Keller, Lisa Baumann, Cedar Attanasio, Jonathan Mattise, Stefanie Dazio, Jae C. Hong, Colleen Long, Karen Matthews, Sarah Brumfield, Carolyn Thompson, Philip Marcelo, Corey Williams and Felicia Fonseca.
In Pictures
UCLA campus standoff as police order pro-Palestinian protesters to leave
Hundreds of police in riot gear mass on US campus as students threatened with arrest.
Supporters of the pro-Palestinian protesters sit on stairs leading to an encampment as students demonstrate on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). [Etienne Laurent/AFP]
Published On 2 May 20242 May 2024
Police in riot gear massed on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus and ordered a large group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators inside an encampment to leave the area or face arrest after violence instigated by pro-Israel counter-protesters.
The barricaded encampment was full of hundreds of people and tents. Some protesters prayed as the sun set over the campus, while others chanted “we’re not leaving” or passed out goggles and surgical masks. They wore helmets and headscarves and discussed the best ways to handle pepper spray or tear gas as someone sang over a megaphone.
A few made homemade shields out of plywood in case they clashed with police forming skirmish lines elsewhere on the campus. “For rubber bullets, who wants a shield?” a protester called out.
Meanwhile, a large crowd of students, alumni and neighbours gathered on campus steps outside the tents, sitting as they listened and applauded various speakers and joined in pro-Palestinian chants. A small group of students holding signs and wearing T-shirts in support of Israel and Jewish people demonstrated nearby.
The law enforcement presence and continued warnings stood in contrast to the scene that unfolded the night before, when counter-demonstrators attacked the pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing traffic cones, releasing pepper spray and tearing down barriers. Fighting continued for several hours before police stepped in, though no arrests were made. The tepid response from the authorities drew criticism from political leaders as well as Muslim students and advocacy groups.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement that “a group of instigators” perpetrated the previous night’s attack, but he did not provide details about the crowd or why the administration and school police did not act sooner.
UCLA campus standoff as police order pro-Palestinian protesters to leave
Hundreds of police in riot gear mass on US campus as students threatened with arrest.
Supporters of the pro-Palestinian protesters sit on stairs leading to an encampment as students demonstrate on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). [Etienne Laurent/AFP]Published On 2 May 20242 May 2024
Police in riot gear massed on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus and ordered a large group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators inside an encampment to leave the area or face arrest after violence instigated by pro-Israel counter-protesters.
The barricaded encampment was full of hundreds of people and tents. Some protesters prayed as the sun set over the campus, while others chanted “we’re not leaving” or passed out goggles and surgical masks. They wore helmets and headscarves and discussed the best ways to handle pepper spray or tear gas as someone sang over a megaphone.
A few made homemade shields out of plywood in case they clashed with police forming skirmish lines elsewhere on the campus. “For rubber bullets, who wants a shield?” a protester called out.
Meanwhile, a large crowd of students, alumni and neighbours gathered on campus steps outside the tents, sitting as they listened and applauded various speakers and joined in pro-Palestinian chants. A small group of students holding signs and wearing T-shirts in support of Israel and Jewish people demonstrated nearby.
The law enforcement presence and continued warnings stood in contrast to the scene that unfolded the night before, when counter-demonstrators attacked the pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing traffic cones, releasing pepper spray and tearing down barriers. Fighting continued for several hours before police stepped in, though no arrests were made. The tepid response from the authorities drew criticism from political leaders as well as Muslim students and advocacy groups.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement that “a group of instigators” perpetrated the previous night’s attack, but he did not provide details about the crowd or why the administration and school police did not act sooner.
Police officers get into position as pro-Palestinian students and activists demonstrate on the UCLA campus.
A person inside the UCLA encampment waves a Palestinian flag.
A large crowd of students, alumni and neighbours gathered on campus steps outside the tents, applauding various speakers and joining in pro-Palestinian chants.
Banners and signs are seen on Royce Hall inside the UCLA encampment. [Etienne Laurent/AFP]
Pro-Palestinian students and activists standing in the UCLA encampment face police.
Police officers are deployed near the pro-Palestinian protest encampment.
Protesters work to rebuild the barricade surrounding their encampment.
Police officers depolyed at the protest encampment on the UCLA campus. Lines of armed police with batons and wooden clubs were seen patrolling sections of the campus in large numbers.
A security guard monitors the pro-Palestinian protest encampment.
Protesters calling on universities to stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support the war in Gaza have spread on campuses across the United States, as well as in other parts of the world.
PHOTOS Etienne Laurent/AFP
Pro-Palestinian campus protests continue in Bay Area, nationwide
By Pete Suratos •
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations continued at universities nationwide Wednesday as law enforcement agencies tried to clear out the encampments. Pete Suratos reports.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations continued at universities nationwide Wednesday as law enforcement agencies tried to clear out the encampments.
In the Bay Area, there were negotiations that reportedly began between pro-Palestinian encampment organizers and UC Berkeley leaders on Wednesday.
According to the Daily Californian, there was a discussion that took place between a group of organizers with the “Free Palestine Encampment” and university leaders, including chancellor Carol Christ, regarding the campus’ complete divestment from any ties to the war in Gaza.
A UC Berkeley spokesperson told NBC Bay Area Wednesday night that the university is not commenting on whether or not a discussion took place between encampment organizers and university leaders.
The reported meeting comes as police try to clear out the encampments at universities across the country.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR22 HOURS AGO
Violence, chaos erupts on campuses as protesters and counter-protesters clash over the war in Gaza
SAN FRANCISCO4 HOURS AGO
May Day brings thousands in support of janitors, hotel workers in San Francisco
In Los Angeles, tensions mounted at UCLA Wednesday night.
The Los Angeles Police Department issued a dispersal order for the growing student-led encampment on the UCLA campus in support of Palestinians during the ongoing war in Gaza. The incident comes one day after fights broke out between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counter protestors.
At Columbia University in New York, more than 100 people were arrested Tuesday night, including demonstrators occupying a campus building. On Wednesday, demonstrators were out in full force outside of that same building, with a projector displaying phrases on the building in support of Palestinians.
Pete Suratos has more in the video above.
By Pete Suratos •
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations continued at universities nationwide Wednesday as law enforcement agencies tried to clear out the encampments. Pete Suratos reports.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations continued at universities nationwide Wednesday as law enforcement agencies tried to clear out the encampments.
In the Bay Area, there were negotiations that reportedly began between pro-Palestinian encampment organizers and UC Berkeley leaders on Wednesday.
According to the Daily Californian, there was a discussion that took place between a group of organizers with the “Free Palestine Encampment” and university leaders, including chancellor Carol Christ, regarding the campus’ complete divestment from any ties to the war in Gaza.
A UC Berkeley spokesperson told NBC Bay Area Wednesday night that the university is not commenting on whether or not a discussion took place between encampment organizers and university leaders.
The reported meeting comes as police try to clear out the encampments at universities across the country.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR22 HOURS AGO
Violence, chaos erupts on campuses as protesters and counter-protesters clash over the war in Gaza
SAN FRANCISCO4 HOURS AGO
May Day brings thousands in support of janitors, hotel workers in San Francisco
In Los Angeles, tensions mounted at UCLA Wednesday night.
The Los Angeles Police Department issued a dispersal order for the growing student-led encampment on the UCLA campus in support of Palestinians during the ongoing war in Gaza. The incident comes one day after fights broke out between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counter protestors.
At Columbia University in New York, more than 100 people were arrested Tuesday night, including demonstrators occupying a campus building. On Wednesday, demonstrators were out in full force outside of that same building, with a projector displaying phrases on the building in support of Palestinians.
Pete Suratos has more in the video above.
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