Pro-Israel counter-protesters clashed Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, April 30, with demonstrators in the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA — with violence breaking out just hours after UCLA had declared the encampment unlawful.
For update, see: UCLA cancels classes after night of violence at pro-Palestinian encampment
As sporadic violence in the quad continued for about two hours, Los Angeles Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky posted on social media at 1:13 a.m.:
“Everyone has a right to free speech and protest, but the situation on UCLA’s campus is out of control and is no longer safe.”
Soon after that post, Los Angeles police and California Highway Patrol officers arrived to help campus police restore order.
I am at the UCLA quad, where things have been very tense all day after school law enforcement has asked protesters to leave and a large group of counter protesters has thrown fireworks. Both groups are facing off with lots of media & some cops nearby. pic.twitter.com/1nOGKDn85l
— Emily Holshouser (@emilyytayylor) May 1, 2024
A couple of hours prior, just after 11 p.m. Tuesday, projectiles were thrown and fireworks set off, with possible tear gas fired. Opposing protesters got into scuffles. Dozens of people were participating on each side. Some combatants were armed with large sticks.
Around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, a group appeared to be trying to dismantle the Palestinian encampment, with some people trying to take down fences, plywood and other barricades. At one point, a group of protesters took a metal barricade and ran through the crowd with it.
One person was injured and taken away in an ambulance, according to broadcast reports. Until around 1 a.m., there was a minimal police presence and no indication anyone had been arrested.
Chants of “USA! USA!” and “Free Palestine!” rang out as bottles, and occasionally pieces of wood, were thrown.
The pro-Palestinian protesters had been preparing for such a showdown all day, offering…
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