As the Chancellor of UCLA was testifying before congress yesterday, pro-Palestinian students created a new encampment, scuffled with police and briefly took over two campus buildings.
You may recall that the previous encampment at UCLA was cleared out by police three weeks ago. Yesterday they returned, or tried to, but they were eventually removed by police.
Photos of the new encampment showed at least two tents on the Kerckhoff patio Thursday morning. Students said private security and UCLA police were on site, apparently to keep the camp from growing.
“Please take the time to assess your risk before coming,” UCLA’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine wrote on social media. “We need support in numbers asap.”
Here’s the initial call for numbers.
UCLA protestors calling everyone to Moore Hall to join their new encampment. pic.twitter.com/n4UIhzNlo9
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 23, 2024
The LAPD issued a citywide tactical alert and officers responded to the quickly forming encampment.
A line of officers in tactical gear was positioned in front of the building near more protesters.
Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Becks and Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Safety Rick Braziel issued a statement indicating that the protesters were ordered to immediately leave the area.
“There is reasonable cause to find that demonstrators’ activities, including erecting barricades, establishing fortifications and blocking access to parts of the campus and buildings, are disrupting campus operations,” the statement said.
Initially there were only a few officers.
Police are already here, at the encampment 2.0 @UCLA pic.twitter.com/XCZHm2Kabe
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 23, 2024
Protesters set up a barricade and immediately began chanting about the need to tear down walls.
“From Palestine to Mexico, all these walls have got to go!”
They shout from behind a wall they built pic.twitter.com/fEldqsLir3
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 23, 2024
A portion of the campus was closed and classes were moved online. Police refused to allow food deliveries (or anything else) to enter the barricaded area. A professor immediately began trying to whip up a frenzy about this “human rights violation.”
Protestors @UCLA claim that police are “TORTURING” campers because they have set up a police line and “aren’t allowing food and water”
These people set up this morning and can leave at any time… they’re coordinating propaganda efforts right in front of my eyes pic.twitter.com/5Bnt9iU4ge
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 23, 2024
Police blocked a food delivery robot at one point.
Supporters of the protesters and other protesters who can’t access the encampment are trying to get supplies in, even utilizing an autonomous robot delivery service, but no luck pic.twitter.com/1Id61nig1Z
— Josh Haskell (@abc7JoshHaskell) May 23, 2024
Eventually, a lot more LAPD officers arrived.
Police arrive @UCLA encampment – protestors immediately attack them and APEX campus security guards pic.twitter.com/i5AKv5n0KU
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 23, 2024
Students began scuffling with police and security guards who were trying to keep them out of the new protest/liberated zone.
🚨MASSIVE CLASH between protestors and police/security @UCLA encampment
HAPPENING NOW pic.twitter.com/Co1tCPJyLr
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 23, 2024
Protesters were warned they would be arrested if they didn’t clear the area.
UCLA has issued a statement ordering protesters to disperse. “You are hereby notified…that your consent to remain on campus is withdrawn and all persons within Kerchoff Patio must leave the campus and depart the campus immediately or face disciplinary action and/or arrest.” pic.twitter.com/rRruOniYOi
— Jeremy Lindenfeld (@jeremotographs) May 23, 2024
With arrests imminent, students abandoned the new camp and walked over to Murphy Hall.
The Pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA just decided to leave Kerckhoff hall, they’re now moving to Murphy. pic.twitter.com/GYSYNnYfSD
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) May 23, 2024
🚨UCLA update: Faced with impending mass arrests, protesters have chosen to leave the encampment. They have now marched over to Murphy Hall where they are continuing to rally. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/nQqt2XMHCY
— Clara Harter (@_ClaraHarter) May 23, 2024
After that, they decided to occupy Dodd Hall and make it a private club.
🚨Protestors take over Dodd Hall, and force doors closed to prevent access to people who aren’t in their tribe @UCLA pic.twitter.com/c7cQOUaBO6
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 23, 2024
Pro-Palestinian protesters are marching through UCLA’s Dodd Hall. pic.twitter.com/73UkPHMNT8
— Jeremy Lindenfeld (@jeremotographs) May 23, 2024
🚨Protestors seize Dodd Hall @UCLA (they didn’t know there was a back door apparently) pic.twitter.com/ZNo544219Q
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 23, 2024
They were not happy at having their occupied space invaded by cameras.
🚨Protestor approaches me and attempts to smash my camera out of my hands (it was connected to a harness) as I walked through Dodd Hall @UCLA yesterday. pic.twitter.com/8hda9Av57o
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 24, 2024
And eventually they resorted to violence.
🚨PROTESTORS JUST VIOLENTLY ATTACKED ME AND PUSHED ME DOWN THE STAIRS AT DODD HALL pic.twitter.com/CPmX1nL4hS
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 23, 2024
But eventually police moved in and cleared the building. All the pathetic protesters could do was give them the finger from outside the building.
Police have closed the doors to Dodd Hall and protestors are outside the building. pic.twitter.com/nts1hOaPD4
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) May 24, 2024
So that’s it for UCLA encampment 2.0. Administrators reacted a lot more quickly this time. But who knows what the left-wing extremists will do next. We could see encampment 3.0 by this weekend.