(NationalUSNews.com) — Hundreds of LAPD riot police have descended onto UCLA’s campus to clear out the ongoing protests and dismantle encampments built by students, resulting in more than 200 arrests by officers.
Police raided the campus and used a variety of weaponry to disperse protestors, including flash-bangs. Police first arrived at UCLA in the early morning hours of May 2 and clashed with protestors as they attempted to dismantle encampments and detain protestors. After approximately 30 minutes, the police managed to destroy the obstacles and barricades built by protestors, prompting the demonstrators to flee the campus.
Police responded to the protests several hours after the demonstrators began causing property damage and erecting makeshift barricades to prevent people from entering parts of the UCLA campus. Protestors also had a brief fight with counter-protestors, resulting in several injuries and calls for police intervention. UCLA staff encouraged students to remain home while the protest unfolded due to concerns about their safety if they encountered people attending the pro-Palestine protest. Protestors claim they peacefully protested the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, but more than a dozen people sustained injuries before police raided the UCLA campus and ended the ongoing demonstration.
The LAPD attempted to disperse protestors without resorting to a raid by issuing orders to the protestors, telling them to leave or potentially face criminal charges. Despite this warning, many protestors remained on UCLA’s campus and participated in chants celebrating Palestine. The LAPD responded to the protests after protestors fought with counter-protestors in a large-scale riot, but authorities did not arrest anyone involved in the clash. The UCLA protest is one of many college demonstrations against the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and even prompted a statement from the White House.
President Joe Biden addressed the nationwide protests in a recent statement, claiming that the United States must take steps to preserve order. Despite his opposition to the political demonstrations, Biden refused to call in the National Guard, likely due to concerns about another incident like the Kent State shootings of 1970.
According to Biden, protestors have “instilled fear” and threatened violence against American citizens, behavior the former president called illegal. Biden also briefly addressed his personal beliefs regarding the Israel-Hamas war, claiming that despite the ongoing political protests throughout the United States, he still supports Israel.
Copyright 2024, NationalUSNews.com
