Order restored at UCLA after violent two days of protests

LOS ANGELES (NewsNation) — While the encampment on the University of California, Los Angeles campus has ended and protests have calmed down, the events over the past week have triggered anger, fear and new concerns for students trying to get back to normal.

After growing for about a week, the encampment was cleared by Thursday afternoon, with almost all the tents taken down. Heavy equipment was brought in to scoop up debris left behind. 

Over 200 UCLA protesters arrested

Police arrested more than 200 people Thursday morning at UCLA after breaking up the pro-Palestinian encampment.

Many of the protesters surrendered and were arrested peacefully, although one person was seen by NewsNation being dragged away.

Protesters were loaded onto buses to be processed by law enforcement and transported to the Inmate Reception Center for holding. It’s unclear what disciplinary actions or charges those arrested may face, especially since UCLA is a public university.

The arrests came around 3 a.m. PT after police issued a disperse order before deploying flash-bangs and then tearing down barriers that had been erected around the encampment.

Before officers moved in, protesters shouted chants including “You don’t scare us” and “We’re not leaving.” They also sprayed some sort of tear gas or bear spray at approaching officers.

Violent clashes between protest groups

Law enforcement agencies — including the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol — were initially called to the UCLA campus early Wednesday morning after violence escalated between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters late Tuesday night.

Fighting continued for several hours before police stepped in, and no one was arrested. At least 15 protesters suffered injuries, and the tepid response by authorities drew criticism from political leaders as well as Muslim students and advocacy groups.

Classes were canceled Wednesday following the clashes between the two sides of protesters.

An “unlawful assembly” was declared by the university, hindering all campus operations. All classes were moved to remote learning and all university employees were encouraged to work from home.

UCLA’s response to encampment

Law enforcement agencies were not allowed to get involved in the situation until receiving a request from the university’s chancellor, who is now being questioned over the delay in requesting assistance from emergency crews.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block promised a review of the night’s events after California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass denounced the delays.

While the UCLA campus is quiet for now, classes remain remote for all students with concern among officials that potential new unrest could threaten commencement June 14.

“If we can, we should have graduations. And I think we probably may see some disruptions. And if there (are), we’ll have to do the best we can,” Block said.

Demonstrations across the nation

Universities across the U.S. have been grappling with how to deal with encampments as commencement ceremonies approach, with some continuing negotiations and others turning to force and ultimatums that have resulted in clashes with police.

The number of arrests at campuses nationwide has exceeded 2,000 as the final days of class wrap up.

The outcry has forced colleges to reckon with their financial ties to Israel as well as their support for free speech. Some Jewish students have said the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus.

Some student demonstrators held signs saying “Jews for Free Palestine” or “Jews for Palestine,” while pictures on social media circulated of Passover seders being held at the encampments.

Protesters have said, though, that those being antisemitic do not represent them and pointed out that many Jewish students are joining them in their cause.

Federal probes on US campuses

Now, the Department of Education has launched investigations into Columbia and Emory universities over allegations that Palestinian and other Muslim students have faced discrimination since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

Both schools face allegations of violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on “race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.” If found in violation of Title VI, the schools could lose some federal funding.

The investigation comes two days after Columbia invited New York City police to forcibly remove protesters who had occupied a campus building for nearly a day.

Emory attracted attention last week when, just three hours after a protest began, it invited police to remove the demonstrators. It was the quickest use of force against students so far, and perhaps the first in which police used Tasers on protesters.

The complaints are two of at least six Title VI claims made in recent weeks alleging Islamophobic and anti-Muslim treatment on U.S. campuses. Others have been made by students from Rutgers, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.