LOS ANGELES – More clashes broke out between pro-Palestine protestors and police officers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on Monday.
Twenty five protestors were arrested and ordered to not return to campus for at least two weeks, reports the Los Angeles Times.
UCLA PD said the group set up three encampments, reports ABC7. The demonstrators also died Shapiro Fountain red, spray-painted brick walkways, tampered with fire safety equipment, damaged patio furniture, vandalized vehicles, and stripped wire from electrical fixtures.
UCLA Protests Prompted by Israel-Hamas Hostilities
They also roamed around campus reciting some of the names of people who have died in Gaza since hostilities broke out between Israel and Hamas after Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack on Israel that killed dozens. Many other Israelis were kidnapped. The UCLA chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine says 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war since the start of the hostilities.
Although the demonstration started out mostly peaceful, the Times reports the situation turned chaotic when LAPD and private security officers formed a skirmish line and faced off with the protestors who were behind barricades. The LAPD ordered the demonstrators several times to disperse.
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The protestors then moved their tents to different locations on campus. Rubber bullets were used to break-up the protest. One student and one security officer were injured.
This was the third encampment set up by pro-Palestine protesters on UCLA’s campus since April 25. The school faced criticism for how it handled its previous protests, particularly the protests in early May when a group of counter-protestors threw objects and launched fireworks at the encampment and the pro-Palestine protestors who were inside.
In response, UCLA announced the creation of the Office of Campus Safety to oversee policing and emergency management. Governor Gavin Newsom and other elected officials have called for investigations into the school’s planning, actions, and response by law enforcement, and University of California President Michael V. Drake ordered an independent review.
