Police at the University of California, Los Angeles, confronted a left-wing mob on Thursday morning as anti-Israel protests intensified across the country.
Law enforcement in riot gear broke down a plywood barrier surrounding an anti-Israel encampment at UCLA and entered the area around 1:54 a.m. local time after a tense standoff that lasted several hours. . Hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators On campus. Shortly after entering the Dixon Plaza encampment, police appeared to withdraw from the area and are now in another confrontation with protesters.
Some in the crowd threw water bottles and other items as dozens of police officers ran back, the Associated Press reported.
There was widespread cheering from demonstrators as police regrouped outside the camp and the plywood fence was put back in place.
UCLA police confront left-wing mob as nationwide anti-Israel protests intensify
On May 2, 2024, anti-Israel demonstrators stand up after police invade an encampment on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus. (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)
California Highway Patrol troopers, armed with batons and in full riot gear, returned about an hour later and stood within feet of dozens of protesters who were throwing objects and shouting. According to the Associated Press, more than 100 demonstrators moved out of the camp via the stairs leading down, blocking the entrance to the camp where police were advancing.
Law enforcement agencies staged large demonstrations and sent lines of police on all sides of the encampment. A member of the crowd shined a light into the officer’s eyes.
Early Thursday morning, repeated explosions, believed to be flash bangs, could be heard in the fortified encampment. Law enforcement in riot gear stood outside the plywood wall surrounding much of the encampment, which was already behind a fence, and strobe lights and Palestinian flags were visible on the plywood, where demonstrators were also visible. Standing with the national flag.
Demonstrators could be heard shouting, “We’re not leaving,” “It’s a shame,” and “We don’t consent to the search.”
FOX News Correspondent Bill Melzin reported that protesters continued to fortify barriers with multiple agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, overnight. He said he could hear the sounds of the mid-air training.
What UCLA is asking for is Classes held remotely Thursday and Friday during a “campus emergency.”
Huge numbers of police began arriving late Wednesday afternoon as dispersal orders were issued.
Anti-Israel agitators shine flashlights at police as they force their way into an encampment on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, California, in the early morning hours of May 2, 2024. do. (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)
Multiple law enforcement sources told Fox News on Wednesday that the Los Angeles Police Department and surrounding agencies, including the Santa Monica Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, were not called for assistance by UCLA until after midnight.
According to officials, disturbances began on the UCLA campus around 11 p.m. local time. Outside agencies were requested and deployed around 1 a.m. Pacific Time.
Los Angeles Police Department officials told Fox News they are not allowed to respond to the campus under any circumstances unless formally requested by UCLA.
“The violence that unfolded tonight at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and unacceptable. The LAPD has arrived on campus,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote in a May 1 post on X. wrote.
Campus chaos and anti-Israel rhetoric reveal obvious flaws in today’s higher education
Empty buses were parked near UCLA to remove protesters who did not comply with orders to disperse.
The law enforcement presence and continued warnings prompted counter-protesters on Tuesday to attack an anti-Israel encampment by throwing traffic cones, pepper spray and destroying fences, according to the Associated Press. It was a stark contrast to the scene from the night before. The fighting continued for several hours before police intervened, but no arrests were made. At least 15 demonstrators were injured, and authorities’ tepid response drew criticism from political leaders as well as Muslim students and advocacy groups.
Protesters block stair access to the campsite and attempt to force their way into an anti-Israel encampment on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, California, in the early morning hours of May 2, 2024. The police. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)
“Late last night, a group of agitators came to Royce Quad and forcibly attacked an encampment set up there to defend the rights of Palestinians.As physical violence ensued, we campus has requested assistance from outside law enforcement to end this horrific attack. Let’s quell the fighting and protect our community.” UCLA President Gene D. Block said in a statement Wednesday. “We are still gathering information regarding last night’s encampment attack and can assure you that we will conduct a thorough investigation that could lead to arrest, expulsion, or termination.”
“This is a dark chapter in the history of our campus. We will restore a safe learning environment to UCLA,” Block added.
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By Wednesday afternoon, a small city had sprung up within the fortified encampment, filling the campus quad with hundreds of people and tents. Some demonstrators offered Muslim prayers, while others chanted “We are not leaving” and handed out goggles and surgical masks. Wearing helmets and scarves, they discussed the best way to deal with pepper spray and tear gas as someone sang through a megaphone.
The Prime Minister has not yet addressed the incident that occurred on Thursday morning.
FOX News’ Alexandria Hernandez, Elizabeth Pritchett and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
