Police in riot gear attempted to dismantle the anti-Israel encampment on the University of California, Los Angeles in a chaotic scene Thursday, as protesters unleashed pepper spray and fire extinguishers on officers.
Flashbangs echoed across the Los Angeles campus as California Highway Patrol was seen taking apart the tent setup, CNN reported.
The protesters had previously put up a makeshift wall around the site in a last-ditch effort to curb the incursion, while police in riot gear with gas masks, batons, and zip ties appeared to easily break through the fray, the outlet added.
Police previously warned the demonstrators that they risked “serious injury” if they refused to evacuate, FOX News Digital reported.
Within a few minutes, some protesters were spotted kneeling on the ground with their hands zip tied behind their backs, CNN said.
The detained protesters were loaded onto buses on campus, the outlet explained.Some defiant participants allegedly aimed pepper or bear spray at the officers, NewsNation’s Nancy Loo wrote on X.
Others wielded fire extinguishers, news station KTLA reported.