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Hundreds of police in riot gear are gathered on UCLA campus
If you’re just joining us, here’s a reminder of how things stand at UCLA, just after 9pm local time.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers are massed on the campus in preparation to clear out a pro-Palestinian protest camp. Police in tactical gear filed in from later afternoon on Wednesday, filling a square adjacent to the complex of tents occupied by throngs of demonstrators.
Hundreds of other pro-Palestinian activists have assembled outside the tent city and are jerring police with chants of “Shame on you,” some banging on drums and waving Palestinian flags.
Before moving in, police with a loudspeaker urged the demonstrators to clear the protest area or face arrest.
UCLA had canceled classes for the day following a violent clash late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning between the encampment’s occupants and a group of masked counter-demonstrators who mounted an assault on the tent city with sticks and poles.
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Inside the UCLA’s Royce Hall, protesters at the encampment set up by pro-Palestinian students and activists are continuing to chant.
Outside, law enforcement officers continue to gather. Both protesters and onlookers are reporting that they expect police to enter the encampment soon.
Hundreds of police in riot gear are gathered on UCLA campus
If you’re just joining us, here’s a reminder of how things stand at UCLA, just after 9pm local time.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers are massed on the campus in preparation to clear out a pro-Palestinian protest camp. Police in tactical gear filed in from later afternoon on Wednesday, filling a square adjacent to the complex of tents occupied by throngs of demonstrators.
Hundreds of other pro-Palestinian activists have assembled outside the tent city and are jerring police with chants of “Shame on you,” some banging on drums and waving Palestinian flags.
Before moving in, police with a loudspeaker urged the demonstrators to clear the protest area or face arrest.
UCLA had canceled classes for the day following a violent clash late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning between the encampment’s occupants and a group of masked counter-demonstrators who mounted an assault on the tent city with sticks and poles.
Hundreds have gathered outside the protest encampment in support of demonstrators, Constanza Montemayor, a journalist with UCLA’s student paper has reported.
Police have used barriers to separate the crowd from the tent camp and have deployed as many as 100 officers between them as well.
Hundreds of protestors have gathered around the encampment. Police presence has strongly increased over the last few hours, and helicopters remain overhead. pic.twitter.com/cWZH64EFok
— Constanza Montemayor (@ConzMontemayor) May 2, 2024Police continue to gather on Dickson Plaza in UCLA. The plaza is the site of the main protest camp and was also the location in which violent clashes erupted less than 24 hours ago.
Local media are reporting that hundreds of police are present on the campus, with at least 100 having taken up position in front of the protest camp at UCLA.
Protesters continue to chant from within the encampment, despite the gathering police presence.
Police have now cordoned off sections of the UCLA campus, creating a buffer between the Pro-Palestinian encampment and the large group of students and alumni who have gathered in support of protesters.
Police – some in riot gear – are lined up between the two groups.
According to a Fox News reporter on the scene, tensions are building. The crowd is reportedly chanting “shame on you” and “LAPD KKK”.
Crowd chanting “shame on you” and “LAPD KKK” as a large number of LAPD officers continue to arrive just outside of the UCLA encampment on campus. Tension building bigtime. pic.twitter.com/MDBBW602Qb
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 2, 2024US police expand efforts to dismantle student protests across the country
As protesters at UCLA are told to disperse and police move further on to the campus, a quick reminder of the speed in which authorities have moved in to shut down protests across the country in the last 24 hours.
On Wednesday alone, police launched operations to dismantle protests in New York, Texas, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Arizona.
That comes after the large operations at Columbia University and City College of New York on Tuesday evening.
An Associated Press tally counted at least 38 times since 18 April in which arrests were made at campus protests.
According to AP, more than 1,600 people have been arrested at 30 schools.
As well as at UCLA, authorities at Portland State University are also reportedly warning student demonstrators to leave immediately.
Crowds of students, alumni and neighbors continue to gather at UCLA, outside the barricaded area of tents. AP is reporting that they sat and applauded at various speakers and joined in pro-Palestinian chants.
Ray Wiliani, who lives nearby, told AP he came to UCLA on Wednesday evening to support the pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
“We need to take a stand for it,” he said. “Enough is enough.”
A small group of students holding signs and wearing T-shirts in support of Israel and Jewish people gathered nearby the protest camp.
It’s almost 8.30pm in LA and police in riot gear are reportedly forming lines and moving in closer to the protest encampment at UCLA.
Matthew Lewis Royer, a journalists with UCLA’s student newspaper, posted the below image of the situation on campus now.
A large number of police in riot gear are now arriving at the UCLA campus, according to Fox News reporter Bill Melugin who is at the scene.
He posted a video of students watching as police made their way onto campus.
BREAKING: Per LAPD source, LAPD has just gone into a citywide tactical alert as tension builds at UCLA campus. Larger numbers of LAPD in riot gear now arriving on campus near the encampment. pic.twitter.com/cjLlS0iofH
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 2, 2024Despite the warning to disperse or face arrest, protests at UCLA only appear to have grown throughout the afternoon.
Protesters largely stayed in place, according to an AP reporter, chanting pro-Palestinian slogans. Police stood by strapping on riot gear.
UCLA posted on X that campus operations will be limited Thursday and Friday with all classes required to pivot to remote instruction. The post urged people to continue avoiding campus and the Royce Quad area.
As Los Angeles County Sheriff’s marshalled near the protest encampments, some people prayed in front of where they gathered.
