Violence erupted on the UCLA campus early Wednesday after the university declared its pro-Palestinian encampment unlawful. Shortly before midnight, counter-protesters in masks.
Violence erupted on the UCLA campus early Wednesday after the university declared its pro-Palestinian encampment unlawful. Shortly before midnight, counter-protesters in masks began trying to dismantle the encampment while protesters held firm, some donning goggles and helmets. Several fights broke out over the ensuing hours, the Los Angeles Times reports, noting counter-protesters at one point threw a firework, wood, and a metal barrier at the camp. Some pro-Palestinian protesters also reported being hit by a substance similar to pepper spray and responded in kind. UCLA officials said they requested assistance from Los Angeles Police officers, who arrived in riot gear around 1:40am local time. «We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end,» said Mary Osako, vice chancellor for UCLA Strategic Communications.
