Pro-Palestinian protesters tried to set up several new encampments on the UCLA campus Monday. The result was chaos. Eventually 27 people were arrested but half-a-dozen UCPD officers were injured in the process.
A total of 27 people were arrested after setting up multiple pro-Palestinian encampments on UCLA’s campus Monday that police said were unlawful...
At least six University of California Police Department personnel and other safety officers were injured during confrontations with protesters, including one person with a head injury, said Rick Braziel, UCLA’s associate vice chancellor for campus safety, in a statement Tuesday.
UCLA's police department put out a statement justifying the arrests. The statement depicted the protest as a kind of moving riot that, in addition to injuries and disruption of finals, also resulted in vandalism to the campus.
On Monday, June 10, 2024, at about 3:15 p.m., a group of approximately 100 people affiliated with a UCLA registered student organization marched to the walkway at the top of the Janss Steps and set up an unauthorized and unlawful encampment with tents, canopies, wooden shields, and water-filled barriers. The group also restricted access to the general public in violation of University policy. University officials advised the group that they were violating University policy and California law; however, the group refused to leave. The group’s conduct, which included the use of amplified sound, also disrupted nearby final exams. After UCPD issued multiple dispersal orders, the group began to leave the area.
The group then marched to the Kerckhoff patio, where they set up an unauthorized and unlawful encampment with tents, canopies, and barricades with patio furniture. The group also restricted access to the general public in violation of University policy. The group’s conduct, which included entering Moore Hall, also disrupted nearby final exams. After UCPD issued dispersal orders, the group began to leave the area.
The group then marched to the courtyard between Dodd Hall and the School of Law, where they set up another unauthorized and unlawful encampment. The group restricted access to the general public in violation of University policy and also disrupted nearby final exams. At around 8:00 p.m. approximately 25 members of the group were arrested for California Penal Code section 626.4(d) – Willful Disruption of University Operations. The individuals are in the process of being cited, issued 14-day stay away orders from UCLA property, and released. Approximately 150 protesters remain in the area as of the latest update.
As a result of the unauthorized and unlawful encampments at the three locations, the group damaged the Shapiro fountain, spray-painted brick walkways, tampered with fire safety equipment, damaged patio furniture, stripped wire from electrical fixtures, and vandalized vehicles.
Video of some of the barricades being set up.
Tents and pizza and makeshift barricades have been erected near Moore Hall in UCLA. pic.twitter.com/mmToyesDmx
— acatwithnews (@ACatWithNews) June 11, 2024
And here they are fighting with campus security, suing shields and throwing things.
Large skirmish at the UCLA Moore Hall encampment between pro-Palestinian protesters and private campus security. Security threw several punches. Eventually security went inside the building. Outside of building is now much more barricaded. pic.twitter.com/H38Okm0Tan
— acatwithnews (@ACatWithNews) June 11, 2024
The protesters then lined up opposite the police and started chanting that they were the KKK. Police responded by pushing them back at which point the protesters whined they were being hurt.
Updating as quickly as possible at UCLA Pro Palestine protest. Less lethal fired. Lots of detainments. Lots of shoving. Seeing some minor injuries. No dispersal order called pic.twitter.com/HfTZzxnknf
— acatwithnews (@ACatWithNews) June 11, 2024
Having completely failed to accomplish anything the protesters then returned to every left-wing protester's favorite sport: Badmouthing the police.
A security officer in front of a UCLA building taunting protesters yelling at them. Detainees are inside the building. Security officer shining a light at cameras. pic.twitter.com/zClu4RQToz
— acatwithnews (@ACatWithNews) June 11, 2024
UCLA's Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Safety, Rick Braziel, posted a condemnation of the protest Tuesday on the school's website. He called them "non-peaceful and abhorrent."
When the group on Kerckhoff patio was told to disperse, they moved to an area near Dodd Hall. This resulted in some students having to miss finals because they were blocked from entering classrooms. Additionally, some students had to be evacuated in the middle of taking their final exams.
Throughout the evening, there were also violent attacks on safety personnel and law enforcement, resulting in at least six injuries to UCPD personnel and other safety officers. One security guard was left with his head bleeding after he was struck with an object. Simply put, these acts of non-peaceful protest are abhorrent and cannot continue...
UCLA is firmly committed to protecting the free expression rights of everyone in our community, regardless of their views, as long as demonstrations are peaceful and follow guidelines for the appropriate time, place and manner for campus demonstrations. Yesterday’s protest was not peaceful.
Here's the attack on the security guard mentioned above.
🧵 Violence at UCLA again yesterday.
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) June 11, 2024
Protestors assaulted and harassed multiple people: a rabbi, a journalist, a security guard, and a vice chancellor.
First, the security guard was hit with what appears to be a smartphone: pic.twitter.com/WMcZlWyF6P
A rabbi was also assaulted:
The Chabad Rabbi of UCLA was just physically assaulted live on camera. The students subsequently began calling him a “Zionist pedophile Rabbi,” telling him to “go back to Poland.” We are in such a dark, dangerous time in our country, with almost no leadership fighting back pic.twitter.com/eZN9MysrYf
— Shabbos Kestenbaum (@ShabbosK) June 11, 2024
They also swarmed this reporter who was filming the, shoved him into a trashcan and tried to take his phone.
🚨MOB of rioters @UCLA grab my harness and pull me, while also pushing me from behind until I’m cornered, they then begin to hit me and grab for my phone.
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) June 11, 2024
Credit to @allen4liberty for filming pic.twitter.com/qWnnt0gp82
They also went after UCLA's Vice Chancellor who had to be escorted to safety by campus security.
UCLA Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck was just attacked by a mob of pro-Palestine extremists.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 11, 2024
This is why they say never negotiate with terrórists.
Nothing will ever be enough.pic.twitter.com/zON7ki3ygS
This should win an award for best arrest of a protester. I'm not sure but I'm guessing she was arrested for violating a rule against amplification because of the bullhorn.
UCLA Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck was just attacked by a mob of pro-Palestine extremists.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 11, 2024
This is why they say never negotiate with terrórists.
Nothing will ever be enough.pic.twitter.com/zON7ki3ygS
Students are of course demanding that everyone arrested be released without consequences. UCLA has said that any students who were arrested face discipline including being barred from campus during finals and graduation. We'll see if they stick to that. At the end of the day it seems there is no new protest camp established on campus.
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