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Police push into UCLA campus, tear down barricades and detain dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters
Law enforcement officers have reportedly pushed into the University of California, Los Angeles encampment site to control the anti-Israel demonstrations
Law enforcement officers have reportedly pushed into the University of California, Los Angeles encampment site, going through Royce Hall, in an attempt to control the anti-Israel demonstrations. CNN reported that members of law enforcement also appeared to fire rubber bullets.
California Highway Patrol officers on Thursday, May 2, detained dozens of protesters who were trying to reinforce the barricade while cops in protective gear attempted to break it. Detained protesters were taken to buses staged in a parking lot by police.
Officials initially tore down the barricades outside the UCLA encampment. Officers from the California Highway Patrol’s special operations unit were seen in police riot gear with helmets, gas masks, zip ties. Before entering the campus, they were seen getting their batons ready. Some protesters were seen kneeling down, their arms zip-tied behind their backs while being arrested.
What is UCLA saying?
UCLA previously issued a safety alert asking students to avoid Dickson Plaza, the area where the pro-Palestinian demonstrators had set up an encampment. “Police have ordered an evacuation of Dickson Plaza due to an unlawful assembly. DO NOT re-enter the area of Dickson Plaza & follow the direction of public safety personnel,” the alert stated, adding that UCLA has “declared the encampment and all unauthorized tents and structures in Dickson Plaza to be unlawful.”
“If you fail to leave and remain present in the encampment or unauthorized tents or structures in Dickson Plaza, regardless of your purpose for remaining, you will be in violation of the law and those who choose to remain could face sanctions. For students, those sanctions could include disciplinary measures such as interim suspension that, after proper due process through the student conduct process, could lead to dismissal. Faculty disciplinary actions would be handled through Senate judiciary committees and Academic Affairs and Personnel, and staff employee disciplinary actions would be handled through Human Resources. Please leave the area immediately,” the alert added.
