Campus protest: Tensions and Violence against pro-Palestinian students protesting ai UCLA(I)

 Police officers in riot gear intervened during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday to separate the two camps at UCLA University and repel the counter-protesters who had come to the university campus to fight. The police began dismantling barricades this Thursday.

campus protest

Clashes broke out overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday at UCLA University, after counter-protesters attacked pro-Palestinian activists who had occupied parts of the campus for several days. On Thursday, the police removed grilles and boards and several demonstrators were arrested.

What happened ?

A largely peaceful pro-Palestinian encampment set up at UCLA last week was attacked by counter-protesters shortly before midnight local time. Videos show the camp besieged by dozens of masked and hooded people appearing to want to break the barricades.

Several of them brandished long sticks: at least one person in the camp was hit in the head before falling to the ground.

“Pepper spray, tear gas, boards, bricks, fireworks - not firecrackers - were fired directly at the students,” Vincent Doehr, a doctoral student in political science at UCLA, told CNN and responsible for media relations for the demonstrators.

“They threw paving stones, pipes at us, they tore up wooden slabs to throw them at us,” Kaia Shah, another spokesperson, told AFP. “Every time those who tried to hold them had their heads exposed, they slapped us, hit us. » According to her, 25 students were hospitalized.

Did the police intervene?

UCLA security forces arrived about two hours after the clashes began, but did not initially intervene, an AFP journalist noted. Police in riot gear separated the two camps around 3 a.m. local time, pushing back counter-protesters.

“The limited and delayed response from campus law enforcement at UCLA last night is unacceptable and demands answers,” California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom responded on Wednesday. A California State Police unit had to be deployed due to the incapacity of officers on campus, he added.

(to be continued here)