As the pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles gained ground, a group of pro-Israeli protestors arrived Tuesday night to dismantle the encampment, deploying fireworks and what may have been bears spray.
The encampment, populated by protesters demanding UCLA divest all interests in Israel and an immediate halt to the 201-day conflict between Israel and Hamas, now occupies portions of the steps and sidewalks of Powell Library and Royce Hall.
At times, the dueling demonstrations grew heated, but remained peaceful throughout most of Tuesday.
Luke Veltz attempted to donate snacks and drinks to those in the encampment. While he’s not a student, he told KTLA’s John Fenoglio that he supports calls for the university to divest from Israel, an end to war and a free Palestinian state.
“When you’ve had genocide carry on for this long, people are just not going to be able to live side by side with two governments in the way that it’s been suggested and I think that a free Palestine is the only way forward,” he said.
Counter-protesters calling for the release of Israeli hostages taken captive on Oct. 7 by Hamas have used screens and speakers to blast images and stories of survivors just feet away from the encampment.
“I think this is blatant antisemitism,” one young man, who was not identified, told KTLA. “This is crazy what’s going on, what they’re letting go on. They’re chanting to kill us. They’re chanting ‘from the river to the sea,’ which is just blatantly to kill us all. I wanted to see what’s going on and it’s scary.”
Tuesday morning, protesters chanted “let him go” as a demonstrator carrying a Palestinian flag who scaled the scaffolding of a building near the encampment was arrested.
He was later released.
Vandals also sprayed graffiti on the doors of Royce Hall.
On Tuesday morning, a man on crutches who claimed to be an alumnus and was not part of either protest was tackled by UCLA security after trying to access a public walkway outside the encampment, Fenoglio reported.
“I told them I was disabled,” he said. “They said that I was trying to use this as a weapon. It was on the ground behind me. It was insane.
There were also reports of demonstrators in the encampment blocking students from getting to class.
The university called this kind of behavior “abhorrent” and said these actions could lead to “suspension or expulsion.”
Overnight, campus police broke up several fights after a group of about 60 pro-Israeli demonstrators tried to push through the encampment’s barricade.
University officials ultimately decided to close Royce Hall until Friday and Powell Library until Monday.
Over at the University of Southern California, the main commencement remains canceled, though smaller graduation ceremonies will take place across campus.
University President Carol Folt released a statement, saying in part:
“USC remains committed to free speech and peaceful protests while ensuring public safety.”
Folt also said she is in direct talks with the representatives from the pro-Palestinian group Divest from Death USC, which has established an encampment in Alumni Park.
The park erupted into a chaotic scene last week after the university called on the Los Angeles Police Department to forcibly remove protesters.
At UCLA, many students told KTLA that they support the right to free speech but do not want to see any violence by demonstrators or police.
So far, police have not been brought in to remove demonstrators at UCLA, but the university has declared the encampment unlawful and those who refuse to leave could face disciplinary action by the school or misdemeanor charges by law enforcement.