Early Thursday morning, police officers removed barricades and began dismantling a fortified encampment set up by anti-Israel demonstrators at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The action came after hundreds of protesters defied orders to leave, with some forming human chains as police attempted to disperse the crowds. Several people were detained, their hands bound with zip ties.
The police action followed hours of warnings issued over loudspeakers, threatening arrests if people did not disperse. Over 1,000 people had gathered on campus, both inside and outside the barricaded tent encampment, in a show of force.
With police helicopters hovering, the sound of flash-bangs, which produce a bright light and a loud noise to disorient and stun people, pierced the air. Protesters chanted, “Where were you last night?” at the officers, in reference to Tuesday night, when counterprotesters attacked the encampment and police took hours to respond.
The tent encampments, which have spread across campuses nationwide, are part of a student movement calling on universities to cut ties with Israel over their war against Islamic terror group Hamas.
California Highway Patrol officers, wearing face shields and protective vests, arrived on campus in large numbers early Thursday. They used their batons to separate themselves from demonstrators, who wore helmets and gas masks.
UCLA 🚨 : Multiple bangs going off, police continue trying to break through to no avail, brainwashed Marxists chanting, “We’re not scared!”#UCLAProtest pic.twitter.com/Mo0eayME2G
— Chloe Wachtel (@chlojwach) May 2, 2024
Police systematically dismantled the encampment’s barricades, which were made of plywood, pallets, metal fences, and trash dumpsters, creating an opening towards the dozens of tents set up by demonstrators. Officers also began to take down canopies and tents. The number of protesters appeared to decrease throughout the morning as some left voluntarily with their hands up, while others were detained by police.
Take a look —
— UCLA : CHP RIOT POLICE HAVE BROKEN THROUGH, POLICE HAVE BREACHED THE ENCAMPMENT. PEOPLE BEING DETAINED. 🔥#UCLAProtest #UCLAGhettoUprising pic.twitter.com/rLVfUULxBi https://t.co/uJrqUAuDAh
— UnCover (@uncoovr) May 2, 2024
The Horn editorial team