‘Out of control’ clashes between riot police and protesters spread across US
Following the arrest of dozens of protestors at Columbia University in New York, a similar demonstration at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) has spiraled into chaos.
Video of pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protestors throwing pallets and hitting each other, leaving many bloodied, have begun to circulate as reporters on the ground have reported no police presence – with one witness saying ‘security ran away’.
Police are now slowly moving into the scene to help corral people into a certain direction and break up the skirmishes, and some officers have been seen putting on gas masks.
Other California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Police Department officers have been spotted lining up outside of the encampment, which has a large homemade barricade made with metal barriers and plywood to keep the two sides apart.
A corridor has been created on a walkway to allow protestors to leave the area peacefully without being arrested as police continue to move in.
Earlier, video showed batons being used as the demonstration unraveled into chaos, with a news anchor commenting: ‘Where are the police? Where is security? Where is the authority? It’s something I’ve never covered…’
In one clip, a protestor appeared to be hit by a wooden pallet someone threw at him – to which the news anchor watching gasped at. The scenes began unfolding around 11pm California time.
Journalist Jack Ross has reported that pro-Palestinian protestors have been taking their own to hospitals because ‘UCLA PD won’t let EMS’ in. Earlier, it was reported that a female Jewish student had been ‘knocked unconscious’. Both of these reports are unconfirmed.
He quoted a source saying: ’Which means our camp has treated 100+ people so far for medical injuries including tear gas pepper spray head injuries from projectiles fireworks burns shock. Not a single EMS from outside our camp or network has been able to respond, actively being blocked.’
One video showed a firework being thrown towards the pro-Palestine encampment, with protestors screaming and ducking behind umbrellas before it exploded.
Riot police have been seen on the ground, and were greeted by pro-Israel demonstrators, some draped in the Israeli flag, with chants of ‘USA! USA!’
LA councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky said in a statement: ‘Everyone has a right to free speech and protest, but the situation on UCLA’s campus is out of control and is no longer safe.
‘I’m grateful to LAPD and Mayor Bass for stepping in to ensure the safety of everyone on campus.’
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More than 1,000 protesters have been arrested over the last two weeks on university campuses in Texas, Utah, Virginia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Connecticut, Louisiana, California and New Jersey.
At Columbia University, Hamilton Hall – which protestors renamed ‘Hind Hall’ in honour of a killed Palestinian girl – was cleared of protesters who took over building on Tuesday.
The scene unfolded shortly after 9pm yesterday evening as police, wearing helmets and carrying zip ties and riot shields, gathered at the Ivy League university’s entrance.
A statement released by a Columbia spokesperson late on Tuesday said officers arrived on campus after the university requested help – hours after the NYPD said officers would not enter the university campus without university request or an imminent emergency.
The White House condemned the standoffs at Columbia on Tuesday and California State Polytechnic University Humboldt earlier in the week.
Other universities have sought to negotiate agreements with the demonstrators in the hopes of having peaceful commencement ceremonies.
The nationwide campus protests began at Columbia in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7.
Militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages.
In return, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry.
The reasons behind the protest vary slightly, but overall agree that the US should end military support to Israel.
Some university students, such as those at Columbia, are demanding their schools sever any financial ties to Israel and other companies involved directly in the conflict.
Mass arrests have led to calls for amnesty of students and faculty who are disciplined for their involvement in the protests.
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