Law enforcement agencies donned riot gear in the early hours of Thursday morning and knocked down the plywood barrier erected at UCLA by anti-Israel protestors.
Police initially “entered the area at around 1:54 a.m. local time after hours of a tense standoff with hundreds of anti-Israel protesters on campus,” Fox News reports.
UCLA BREAKING : It’s 0235 and buses of HEAVILY ARMORED CHP agents have just arrived, I counted over 150+ getting off buses headed to encampment. pic.twitter.com/CixyWkAeTr
— Anthony Cabassa (@AnthonyCabassa_) May 2, 2024
Crowds cheered when, shortly after entering the encampment in Dickson Plaza, the officers appeared to withdraw and the plywood was put back up.
You can laugh about their no bananas policy and their third-night Passover seder, but these students at the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment just humiliated a phalanx of advancing LAPD officers by forcing them to retreat.pic.twitter.com/xuiY69LPyo
— Louis Keene (@thislouis) May 2, 2024
That soon changed, however.
Live reporting from Fox News showed police deploying what one reporter said “smelled like” tear gas into the crowd.
As Fox News video showed police again ripping down the plywood barrier, CHP was preparing to “pull these people out one by one,” according to the reporter.
Happening now:
Police moving in on UCLA encampment. Tear gas deployed. pic.twitter.com/HYOqt8LeQo— RoamingRN (@roaming_rn) May 2, 2024
Shortly before 3 a.m., UCLA issued a safety alert urging students to stay away from Dickson Plaza, CNN reports.
“AVOID THE AREA of Dickson Plaza due to police activity; Police have ordered an evacuation of Dickson Plaza due to an unlawful assembly. DO NOT re-enter the area of Dickson Plaza & follow the direction of public safety personnel. UCLA has modified campus operations,” the alert read.
“The University of California Los Angeles has declared the encampment and all unauthorized tents and structures in Dickson Plaza to be unlawful,” it continued. “The University requires that everyone must leave the encampment and adjacent areas, as well as all unauthorized structures and tents immediately, until further notice.”
According to influencer Sara Rose on X, police deployed “flash bangs” and “pepper spray.”
“LA Jewish residents decided to come out, and confront the terrorists – which finally prompted UCLA to allow the police to do their job,” Rose reported. “The mostly peaceful protest has turned violent.”
Police enter UCLA encampment. Flash bangs, pepper spray deployed.
LA Jewish residents decided to come out, and confront the terrorists – which finally prompted UCLA to allow the police to do their job.
The mostly peaceful protest has turned violent. pic.twitter.com/b1wipf5Y8t
— Sara Rose (@saras76) May 2, 2024
According to investigative reporter Sergio Olmos, police began “making contact with protestors at the fence. 3:57am.”
Police begin making contact with protestors at the fence. 3:57am pic.twitter.com/bgQc9LqAYn
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) May 2, 2024
“UCLA is now a War zone!” exclaimed one user on X.
UCLA is now a War zone! pic.twitter.com/3ZFYbtA4lh
— The Report (@TheReportX) May 2, 2024
Not so, according to another X user.
“As much as everyone wants to overreact to the ucla encampment and the police, it’s incredibly calm,” the user reported. “The kids are passively resisting, the cops took their time taking away all the barriers, and people are calmly being arrested. There’s a long line of kids with their arms linked.”
“Overall it’s very mellow and restrained from everyone,” the user added. “There are cameras everywhere and everyone knows it. Seems like everyone’s on their best behavior.”
As much as everyone wants to overreact to the ucla encampment and the police, it’s incredibly calm. The kids are passively resisting, the cops took their time taking away all the barriers, and people are calmly being arrested. There’s a long line of kids with their arms linked.
— Reff Van Gundy (@QBetterscope) May 2, 2024
There are cameras everywhere and everyone knows it. Seems like everyone’s on their best behavior.
— Reff Van Gundy (@QBetterscope) May 2, 2024
It should be noted that events are still unfolding at the California university, and these reports remain unconfirmed.
“Heavily-Armored CHP Riot Police have finally Broken Through the Makeshift Barricades surrounding the Pro-Hamas Encampment at UCLA, with Dozens of Rioters being Arrested,” reported one X account at 4:25 a.m. “Police are now able to Storm the Encampment without any kind of Hinderance besides Interference from the Rioters.”
Heavily-Armored CHP Riot Police have finally Broken Through the Makeshift Barricades surrounding the Pro-Hamas Encampment at UCLA, with Dozens of Rioters being Arrested. Police are now able to Storm the Encampment without any kind of Hinderance besides Interference from the… pic.twitter.com/8q7HbRwL0d
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 2, 2024
The police intervention comes after the protestors issued a long list of requested goods to help keep their encampment afloat.
Among the items requested?
“Rope & zip ties”; “Helmets, shields, & wood”; “Knee & elbow pads”; and, of course, “Vegan & gluten free food.”
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
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
