Police Begin Dismantling UCLA Protest Camp After Dispersal Order
Lines of police kept close watch at the University of California at Los Angeles as tensions remained high after violence erupted the previous night between pro-Palestinian protesters and counter protesters.
(Bloomberg) -- Police began dismantling some of the barricades and tents erected by pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of California at Los Angeles after violence erupted the previous night with counter-protesters.
At about 6 p.m. local time Wednesday, police ordered protesters at the university to leave their encampment in front of the Royce Hall theater, but hundreds of people ignored the demand. Early Thursday, police in riot gear lined up in rows, and began closing in on the encamped protesters, according to live images from ABC7 in Los Angeles.
Dozens of protesters were seen leaving the area with their hands raised in the air, while several hundred police officers began entering the encampment area. Isolated scuffles broke out between police and protesters.
The standoff at UCLA is one of several flashpoints at US campuses from New York to California where demonstrators are demanding schools sever financial ties to Israel and grant amnesty to students for rule breaking, among other goals. The showdowns have sparked recriminations and support from politicians, faculty and billionaire donors.
Read: US College Campuses On Edge as Police Move In: Protest Tracker
In a sign that protesters at UCLA knew the risks they faced, organizers early in the evening yelled “leave the encampment if you don’t want to be arrested.” Many of those who did leave just regrouped nearby, and that crowd grew throughout the evening.
Richard Leib, the chair of the University of California Board of Regents, had warned late Wednesday that an “unsafe environment” on the campus had to be resolved.
“Protests that interfere with University operations or threaten the safety of students require immediate enforcement of University policies so that violent situations are prevented,” Leib said in a statement. “It is our priority to ensure the safety of all students and allow equal access to education.”
University of California officials said 15 people were injured in the earlier scuffle, including one who was hospitalized after pro-Palestinian protesters were attacked by counter demonstrators. Classes were canceled Wednesday and possibly Thursday.
“There must be a full investigation into what occurred on campus last night,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “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.”
With commencement quickly approaching at many universities, the pressure is on administrators to keep order.
At Columbia University in New York City, police officers entered the campus Tuesday, breaking up an escalating protest and arresting more than 100 demonstrators, some of whom had barricaded themselves in a building. Columbia President Minouche Shafik said she asked police to maintain a campus presence through at least May 17, two days after graduation.
At the University of Texas at Dallas, more than a dozen protesters were arrested Wednesday afternoon after law enforcement broke up an encampment that pro-Palestinian students set up in the morning hours, where hundreds of people had gathered, according to the Dallas Morning News.
--With assistance from Bill Faries and Janine Phakdeetham.
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