UCLA protests turn violent as fights break out and firecrackers explode in ‘tent city’
An anti-Israel protest at the University of California, Los Angeles, turned violent late Tuesday as fights broke out and firecrackers were thrown at the makeshift tent encampments.
The commotion broke out at UCLA in Westwood after several agitators attempted to break down a barricade set up on campus.
One agitator blasted pepper spray into multiple people’s faces, leading to a brawl, according to video captured by Fox 11.
Firecrackers were then thrown toward a barrier set up by campus police, sending multiple people running for cover.
It took law enforcement nearly three hours to respond to the massive clash between protesters, as UC schools’ police force didn’t formally request the LAPD’s help until midnight.
The late-night disorder came hours after UCLA declared the campus encampment illegal and warned the protesters they could be punished if they didn’t leave, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the protesters before announcing the LAPD had been called in to help quell the chaos.
“The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable,” Bass, who was in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, wrote on X. “LAPD has arrived on campus.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom remained stunningly silent after the protests at UCLA and UC Berkeley took a violent turn overnight.
“We want to maintain the right to protest without any hate,” Newsom said earlier Tuesday when asked about the demonstrations during a news conference, according to Fox News.
The LAPD confirmed its presence on campus, saying the department was working with other agencies to restore order on the campus.
“We can confirm that LAPD officers have been deployed, and are currently on the UCLA campus, to assist in restoring order. We are working in partnership with UCLA PD and other law enforcement agencies.”
“Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support,” UCLA’s Strategic Communications Office said in a release, according to KTTV.
“The fire department and medical personnel are on the scene. We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end.”
