LOS ANGELES: Clashes erupted on Wednesday at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed with counter-protesters, escalating tensions in an ongoing wave of protests across the United States universities. Several universities across US struggle to contain pro-Palestinian protests, AFP reported.
The confrontations, captured on television footage, underscored the deep divisions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides engaging in violent altercations.
According to CNN reports, the clashes unfolded just before dawn, pitting rival pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups against each other. Scenes of chaos unfolded as protesters and counter-protesters clashed with sticks and tore down metal barricades. The situation escalated further as some persons launched fireworks and hurled objects at each other amidst the darkness, illuminated by laser pointers and flashlights.
Responding to the escalating violence, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) swiftly intervened at the request of UCLA authorities. In a statement posted on a social media platform, the LAPD confirmed their response to assist UCLA PD and other law enforcement agencies in restoring order and ensuring public safety amid the unrest. Protesters and counter-protesters were seen clashing with sticks, and tearing down metal barricades, TV images showed.
Television footage captured the intensity of the clashes, with one group attempting to dismantle barriers while the other wielded sticks, and unidentified projectiles flew overhead. The clashes, which disrupted the normalcy of the university campus, highlighted the heightened tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its reverberations across American academic institutions.
UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block had issued warnings ahead of the confrontations, acknowledging the presence of both university-affiliated and external demonstrators who had set up a camp on campus. While noting that many protesters had engaged in peaceful activism, Block condemned the violent tactics employed by some, describing them as “shocking and shameful.” He further highlighted the impact of the clashes on the campus community, particularly expressing concern for the anxiety and fear experienced by Jewish students amidst the unrest. “These incidents have put many on our campus, especially our Jewish students, in a state of anxiety and fear.”
