Police Crack Down On Pro-Palestinian Protest At UCLA Amid Rising Tensions On US Campuses: Here's All About It

Hundreds of helmeted police officers forcefully entered a central plaza at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) early Thursday (2 May) to disperse a pro-Palestinian protest camp that had been attacked by pro-Israel supporters the previous night.

This pre-dawn crackdown at UCLA is the latest escalation of tensions on U.S. college campuses amid protests over Israel’s actions in Gaza, resulting in clashes between students and law enforcement.

On Wednesday evening, officers in tactical gear began to gather near the occupied tents on the UCLA campus, with an estimated 300 to 500 protesters inside and around 2,000 supporters outside.

Despite a prolonged standoff, police eventually moved in around 3:15 a.m. PDT to arrest demonstrators who refused to leave the encampment.

The raid, led by a contingent of California Highway Patrol officers, encountered resistance from some protesters who attempted to block their advance.

Ahead of the crackdown, some protesters had prepared with protective gear, such as hard hats, goggles, and respirator masks, anticipating a confrontation after the university declared the encampment unlawful.

As police entered the campus, both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators voiced their respective positions.

Pro-Palestinian activists, many wearing Palestinian scarves called keffiyehs, jeered at the police, while a smaller group of pro-Israel demonstrators urged authorities to dismantle the encampment.

The UCLA protests followed a violent clash between the encampment’s occupants and masked counter-demonstrators on Tuesday night, prompting the university to cancel classes for the day. The skirmish, which involved physical altercations and the use of pepper spray, lasted for hours before police intervened.