Tensions High at UCLA as Protesters Ignore Police Orders to Disperse
Law enforcement officers in riot gear converged on the UCLA campus Wednesday night, ordering a crowd of over a thousand pro-Palestinian supporters gathered at a student encampment to disperse.
Social media videos captured police warning those on a loudspeaker that those who did not leave would face arrest, though no arrests had yet been made.
Late Wednesday night, live video from the Associated Press showed a large crowd applauding and listening to various speakers, while chanting, “Free, free, free Palestine” and, “We will not stop, we will not rest.” The outlet reported students, alumni, and neighbors mostly remained after the police warning. Speakers could be heard assuring protesters, with one claiming, “We’re making history tonight.”
Here is a sampling of police resources along the perimeter of #UCLA pic.twitter.com/2i8ZaHTRZo
— Chris Cristi (@abc7chriscristi) May 2, 2024
Students could be seen wearing goggles and helmets to protect themselves from tear gas and pepper spray. Medical stations had earlier been set up and “scattered throughout” the camp, according to one local journalist.
Students in support of Israel had also gathered nearby on Wednesday, voicing their support for the Jewish community.
The scene was a quieter version of events the night prior, when counter-demonstrators clashed with the pro-Palestinian encampment. No one was arrested in the melee, though it was hours until police intervened. The police’s presence on Wednesday night appeared to quell a repeat.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed it responded on campus on Tuesday night as well as several other state and local law-enforcement agencies “after UCLA requested mutual aid after reports of violent clashes between protesters.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called out “the absolutely detestable violence on campus,” in a post on X and confirmed she had been in talks with authorities “on next steps to ensure our students and campus are safe.” She promised those who launched fireworks at other people, sprayed chemicals and physically assaulted others “will be found, arrested, and prosecuted, as well as anyone involved in any form of violence or lawlessness.”
“I want to make sure the message I delivered to law enforcement and other officials earlier today is clear: Free speech will be protected. Violence and bigotry will not,” Bass said.
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