The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus was engulfed in violent clashes on Wednesday morning as anti-Israel protesters and counter-demonstrators collided in a heated showdown.
The clashes at UCLA were not an isolated incident but rather part of a broader wave of protests and counter-protests that have swept across university campuses nationwide.
Anti-Israel protesters have established encampments at multiple universities, including Columbia University, where a similar confrontation occurred just hours before the UCLA incident.
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The encampment at UCLA had drawn both supporters and opponents of the Palestinian cause, setting the stage for a potentially explosive confrontation.
The violence erupted when pro-Israel protesters attempted to clear the encampment at UCLA. According to eyewitnesses, the clash began when the pro-Israel group, armed with sticks and poles, confronted the pro-Palestinian protesters who were holding placards and umbrellas to protect themselves.
The situation quickly escalated, with reports of fireworks being thrown into the camp, intensifying the chaos and fear.
Campus administrators called in law enforcement officers to restore order and ensure the safety of all individuals involved.
However, law enforcement did not immediately quell the clashes, and the two opposing protest groups continued to confront. It was only after several hours that police managed to separate the factions and gradually restore calm to the UCLA campus.
The violence at UCLA drew swift condemnation from various quarters, with university officials, politicians, and community leaders expressing their outrage and calling for an end to the senseless clashes.
UCLA Vice Chancellor Mary Osako condemned the violence on X, “Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight, and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support. The fire department and medical personnel are on the scene. We are sickened by this senseless violence, and it must end.”
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The Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, condemned the violence on X as “absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable.”
LA police on X, “At the request of UCLA, due to multiple acts of violence within the large encampment on their campus, the LAPD is responding to assist UCLA PD, and other law enforcement agencies, to restore order and maintain public safety.”
Katy Yaroslavsky, a Los Angeles councilwoman whose district includes UCLA, posted on X, “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. I’m grateful to LAPD and Mayor Bass for stepping in to ensure the safety of everyone on campus.”
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