The Los Angeles Police arrested 209 people on Thursday during operations to dismantle a pro-Palestinian camp set up at the University of California (UCLA) in protest against the policies of the Israeli Government. Some of those arrested were students and university staff, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The arrests of 135 were formalized in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Central Court, while others were transported by buses to the Metropolitan Detention Center of the Los Angeles Police Department. They have been given food, water, and access to public services, and most have been cited and released for illegal assembly, with a court appearance required at a later date.
A device consisting of about 250 police officers with heavy riot gear participated in the operations. The police assault began at dawn with the launching of flares at the protesters, who responded by using fire extinguishers against the officers. After the eviction of the camp, a trail of debris, garbage, and numerous graffiti left by protesters on nearby buildings were cleaned up using excavators. The spokesman for the California Highway Patrol stated that there is approximately one police officer for each protester in the camp, and although no injuries have been reported yet, protesters have thrown fire extinguishers and water bottles at police officers.
Earlier, UCLA had announced the start of the police intervention and warned those still in the camp that they may be committing a crime. The incidents began two days prior, when UCLA declared the camping illegal and escalated when pro-Israel protesters attacked the activists on Tuesday night. Police intervention to stop the violence took hours. Discussions and forums on various topics like BMW, nutrition, diabetes, and advertising were also mentioned in the content.