Law enforcement intervened at the University of California, Los Angeles early Wednesday morning after hours of violent clashes between anti-Israel protesters and pro-Israel counter-protesters on campus.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrived at the university at the administration’s request following violent tussles Tuesday evening between the two protest groups, where mace and barricades appeared to be used as weapons. Mayor Karen Bass (D) confirmed Wednesday morning police were sent to campus to quell the violence.
“The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable,” Bass said on X.”LAPD has arrived on campus.”
Deputy mayor of communications Zach Seidl said the police were sent to campus after UCLA chancellor Gene Block requested reinforcements.
“The Mayor has spoken to Chancellor Block and Chief Choi. LAPD is responding immediately to Chancellor Block’s request for support on campus,” Seidl stated.
Anti-Israel protesters set up an encampment on UCLA’s campus to protest the school’s relationship with companies that do business in Israel and U.S. support for Israel’s ongoing war effort against Hamas.
The encampment started on Royce Quad and footage emerged of the protesters beating a Jewish girl unconscious, resulting in a concussion. Footage of a separate incident appeared to show protesters holding a Jewish student against his will on Tuesday and preventing him from leaving the encampment. UCLA protesters on Monday also seemed to prevent a Jewish student from going to class by lining up and preventing the student from accessing the main entrance to his lecture hall.
“Many of the demonstrators, as well as counter-demonstrators who have come to the area, have been peaceful in their activism. But the tactics of others have frankly been shocking and shameful,” Block said in a statement Tuesday.
“UCLA supports peaceful protest, but not activism that harms our ability to carry out our academic mission and makes people in our community feel bullied, threatened and afraid. These incidents have put many on our campus, especially our Jewish students, in a state of anxiety and fear,” he continued.
“We have significantly increased our security presence in the area, including adding greater numbers of law enforcement officers, safety personnel and student affairs mitigators. We have also engaged law enforcement to investigate the recent acts of violence.”
Block and UCLA vice chancellor Mary Osako both said the school is working with law enforcement and suggested disciplinary proceedings would be carried out against the protesters who blocked the Jewish student from attending class.