Police at the University of California, Los Angeles faced off against a left-wing mob on Thursday morning as nationwide anti-Israel protests escalated.
Law enforcement agencies in riot gear knocked down the plywood barrier surrounding the anti-Israel encampment at UCLA and entered the area at around 1:54 a.m. local time after hours of a tense standoff with hundreds of anti-Israel protesters on campus. Not long after entering the encampment in Dickson Plaza, police appeared to withdraw from the area and are now engaged in another standoff with the protesters.
Some in the crowd tossed water bottles and other objects as dozens of officers ran back, according to the Associated Press.
Widespread cheers could be heard from the protesters as police regrouped outside the encampment and the plywood barrier was put back up.
POLICE AT UCLA FACE OFF AGAINST LEFT-WING MOB AS NATIONWIDE ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS ESCALATE
Armed with batons and in full riot gear, California Highway Patrol officers returned about an hour later and stood within feet of scores of protesters, who threw objects and yelled. More than 100 demonstrators moved from the stairs leading down from the encampment to block a side entrance to the encampment where police were advancing, the AP said.
Law enforcement made a massive display, sending in columns of officers who were closing in on all sides of the encampment. Members of the crowd flashed lights in the officers' eyes.
Repeated explosions – believed to be flash bangs – could be heard going off at the fortified encampment early Thursday, as law enforcement in riot gear stood outside walls of plywood seen surrounding most of the encampment, which was already behind railing, and protesters could be seen standing up above the top of the plywood with strobe lights and Palestinian flags.
Protesters could be heard shouting, "We're not leaving," "Shame," and "We do not consent to a search."
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin said power drills could be heard throughout the night as the protesters continued to fortify the barrier separating them from multiple agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.
UCLA is requiring classes to be held remotely on Thursday and Friday amid the "emergency on campus"
The huge numbers of police began arriving late in the afternoon Wednesday amid the issuance of a dispersal order.
Multiple law enforcement sources told Fox News on Wednesday that LAPD and surrounding agencies including Santa Monica PD and LA County Sheriffs were not requested for assistance by UCLA until after midnight.
Sources said the chaos started to erupt on UCLA’s campus around 11 p.m. local time. Once outside agencies were requested, they were deployed around 1 a.m. PST.
LAPD sources told Fox News that they are not allowed to respond to the campus in any event unless formally requested by UCLA.
"The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable. LAPD has arrived on campus," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote in a May 1 post on X.
CAMPUS CHAOS AND ANTI-ISRAEL RHETORIC REVEAL STARK FAILURES OF TODAY’S HIGHER EDUCATION
Empty buses were parked near UCLA to take away protesters who do not comply with the order to disperse.
The law enforcement presence and continued warnings stood in contrast to the scene that unfolded the night before, when counter-demonstrators on Tuesday attacked the anti-Israel encampment, throwing traffic cones, releasing pepper spray and tearing down barriers, according to the AP. Fighting continued for several hours before police stepped in, though no arrests were made. 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.
"Late last night, a group of instigators came to Royce Quad to forcefully attack the encampment that has been established there to advocate for Palestinian rights. Physical violence ensued, and our campus requested support from external law enforcement agencies to help end this appalling assault, quell the fighting and protect our community," UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block said in a statement Wednesday. "We are still gathering information about the attack on the encampment last night, and I can assure you that we will conduct a thorough investigation that may lead to arrests, expulsions and dismissals."
"This is a dark chapter in our campus’s history. We will restore a safe learning environment at UCLA," Block added.
By Wednesday afternoon a small city had sprung up inside the reenforced encampment, now full of hundreds of people and tents on the campus quad. Some protesters said Muslim prayers, while others chanted, "We’re not leaving," or passed out goggles and surgical masks. They wore helmets and headscarves, and discussed the best ways to handle pepper spray or tear gas as someone sang over a megaphone.
The chancellor has not yet addressed the incident unfolding Thursday morning.
Fox News' Alexandria Hernandez, Elizabeth Pritchett and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
