LOS ANGELES, CA - During the early morning on hours on Wednesday, May 1st, police responded to UCLA after reports of violent clashes erupting between two protest groups during a pro-Palestinian encampment that has been set up on the campus.
The overnight confrontation between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters allegedly broke out just before midnight on Tuesday, April 30th and, according to ABC 7, it took roughly three hours before police intervened. People were being beaten and hit with sticks, and at times protesters would use barricades as weapons.
According to KTLA5, dozens of counter-protesters wearing white masks and flags over their shoulders, arrived to the encampment around 10:45 p.m. in an effort to dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment that has overtaken Royce Quad since Thursday, April 25th.
Video shared by NBC4 shows images of the confrontation that took place around 11:40 p.m. in front of the encampment barricade on Dickson Plaza near Powell Library and Kaplan Hill. While reports from NBC 4 state that there were no reports of any injuries, ABC 7 reported that before the arrival of police, a group piled on one person who laid on the ground, kicking and beating them until others pulled them out of the scrum.
Additionally, according to news9live, a video showing a Jewish girl being assaulted has surfaced. The incident is said to have occurred during the anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protest that was happening on the UCLA campus at Dickinson Plaza.
The video was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by a witness who goes by the name, "@ThatKoreanJew." The girl allegedly suffered injuries on the head and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
The violence escalated when counter-protesters surrounded the pro-Palestinian encampment. The clashes took place just outside a tent encampment where pro-Palestinian protesters erected barricades and plywood for protection; counter-protesters allegedly tried to pull those barricades down. Vandals also sprayed graffiti on the doors of Royce Hall.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said that they were in contact with campus police before they got involved around 1:30 a.m. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) also said that they were requested to send units, but reports indicate that more than two hours had passed with no uniformed campus police or LAPD officers on scene.
Around 3:00 a.m., officers dispersed the crowd. Mutual aid responded to the campus, including Santa Monica and Culver City police. In a social media post, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, "The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable." Bass was in Washington, D.C. at the time of the protest, but said she would be returning to Los Angeles early in wake of the incident.
As of this writing, it is unclear how many others have been injured or if any arrests have been made. Mary Osako, vice chancellor for UCLA Strategic Communications told the campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin, "Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support." She added, "We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end."
On Monday, April 29, campus police reportedly broke up several fights after a group of about 60 pro-Israeli demonstrators tried to push through the encampment's barricade. Due to the violent events, university officials decided to close Royce Hall until Friday, May 3 and Powell Library until Monday, May 6.
The overnight confrontation between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters allegedly broke out just before midnight on Tuesday, April 30th and, according to ABC 7, it took roughly three hours before police intervened. People were being beaten and hit with sticks, and at times protesters would use barricades as weapons.
According to KTLA5, dozens of counter-protesters wearing white masks and flags over their shoulders, arrived to the encampment around 10:45 p.m. in an effort to dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment that has overtaken Royce Quad since Thursday, April 25th.
Video shared by NBC4 shows images of the confrontation that took place around 11:40 p.m. in front of the encampment barricade on Dickson Plaza near Powell Library and Kaplan Hill. While reports from NBC 4 state that there were no reports of any injuries, ABC 7 reported that before the arrival of police, a group piled on one person who laid on the ground, kicking and beating them until others pulled them out of the scrum.
Additionally, according to news9live, a video showing a Jewish girl being assaulted has surfaced. The incident is said to have occurred during the anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protest that was happening on the UCLA campus at Dickinson Plaza.
The video was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by a witness who goes by the name, "@ThatKoreanJew." The girl allegedly suffered injuries on the head and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
The violence escalated when counter-protesters surrounded the pro-Palestinian encampment. The clashes took place just outside a tent encampment where pro-Palestinian protesters erected barricades and plywood for protection; counter-protesters allegedly tried to pull those barricades down. Vandals also sprayed graffiti on the doors of Royce Hall.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said that they were in contact with campus police before they got involved around 1:30 a.m. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) also said that they were requested to send units, but reports indicate that more than two hours had passed with no uniformed campus police or LAPD officers on scene.
Around 3:00 a.m., officers dispersed the crowd. Mutual aid responded to the campus, including Santa Monica and Culver City police. In a social media post, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, "The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable." Bass was in Washington, D.C. at the time of the protest, but said she would be returning to Los Angeles early in wake of the incident.
As of this writing, it is unclear how many others have been injured or if any arrests have been made. Mary Osako, vice chancellor for UCLA Strategic Communications told the campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin, "Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support." She added, "We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end."
On Monday, April 29, campus police reportedly broke up several fights after a group of about 60 pro-Israeli demonstrators tried to push through the encampment's barricade. Due to the violent events, university officials decided to close Royce Hall until Friday, May 3 and Powell Library until Monday, May 6.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments