Law enforcement moved in on a large student encampment on the campus of UCLA in the early morning hours of Thursday.
UCLA has an enrollment of nearly 52,000 students. It is a public university governed by regents. Officials said that the school would be closed except for limited operations on Thursday and Friday.
The pro-Hamas demonstrations at UCLA have been violent, much more so than on other campuses. At times it can most accurately be described as riots that have broken out. It’s inexcusable that the police were not brought in after the riot on Tuesday, which injured more than 20 people.
UCLA has been slow to respond to the escalating violence. On Tuesday the university declared the encampment unlawful. The protesters chanted “KKK” at police who monitored the activity on campus. The Hamas supporters yelled that they were not afraid of the police. They planned to fight back.
There were reports on Wednesday that Jewish students began fighting back. Maybe that is what led up to the police moving in on the encampment. The university had to finally act. Outside agitators have been blamed for some of the violence.
Protesters liked arms and made a line to keep the police away from the tents in the encampment. Faculty members and university staff joined the students in their demonstration.
An overwhelming show of force by police arrived to deal with the situation. As we have seen with other demonstrations, it’s the only way to get the job done. The demonstrators have no respect for law enforcement. As I watch what is unfolding, LAPD is arresting protesters one by one. They are being handcuffed with zip ties and led away. It’s mostly peaceful and calm.
Many protesters are wearing hard hats and protective goggles. They sprayed police with fire extinguishers. Police essentially corralled the protestors, many into the library, to keep order and make arrests easier.
The law enforcement on the scene has been nothing but professional. They are obviously well-prepared. Police used flash bangs to disorient the protesters as they moved in, but no tear gas.
Yesterday a post on X brought attention to the mindset of the demonstrators. It is a list of supplies they want, clearly with an eye on extending the demonstration.
NEW: @FoxNews has obtained a Google Doc w/ a list of needs that protesters at the UCLA camp are requesting, including:
– Vegan & gluten free food
– “Super bright” flashlights w/ strobe
– Rope & zip ties
– Helmets, shields, & wood
– Lotion, “NO sunscreen”
– Knee & elbow pads pic.twitter.com/XUL6ZbtoLy— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 1, 2024
These are young people and outside agitators who feel entitled to make demands as they take over the university. It is about 500 people out of an enrollment of 52,000. A very small percentage of the student population has been allowed to shut down the university. They are spoiled brats who are being encouraged by their professors. The students have been allowed to fly the Palestinian flag on some campuses.
The silence from President Biden, Governor Newsom, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, and other elected officials is deafening. Where is Chuck Schumer, who has been AWOL since he stood on the Senate floor and called for elections in Israel to oust Netanyahu? Israel is at war, a war for its very survival, and Schumer was Biden’s mouthpiece, calling on the prime minister to be removed. It’s unbelievable.
Anti-American Marxists are disrupting life in America as we know it. They are enabled by university faculty, who have brainwashed them with propaganda that Israel is evil and terrorists like Hamas are freedom fighters, not bloodthirsty terrorists. The Biden administration plays a role, too, when it calls for Israel to de-escalate.
There is no end in sight. The people being led off by police on the UCLA campus this morning will likely be back at it by dinner time. There are no real consequences. Where are the parents? This has nothing to do with freedom of speech. That ship sailed once the violence began and Jewish students were shut out of buildings on campus, unable to walk freely around campus.