Moment burly California cops detain pro-Palestine protester at USC – only to release him after students surrounded police car and refused to let officers pass

Police clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Southern California when students stormed a police car carrying a detained activist and refused to move.

Officials broke up a tent demonstration on the Los Angeles campus after students started their own camp in Gaza on Wednesday.

Video shows police pulling out their batons as they detained a protester wearing a neon green vest and black face mask as others surrounded them and tried to intervene.

Pro-Palestinian activists repeatedly shouted “shame on you” and “let him go” at the officers as they led him to the police vehicle.

Unable to move their car, police released the detainee, who then waved at the protesters, signaling them to return to the park.

Pro-Palestinian activists repeatedly shouted “shame on you” and “let him go” at the officers as they led him to the police vehicle

Protesters threw objects at officers sent to disperse them, including a rock, water bottles and water NBC Los Angeles.

Protesters indicated they have no intention of leaving by linking arms to create a human chain and continuing their chants.

USC sent out a message around 5:50 PM PT on Wednesday that the Los Angeles Police Department had been called in to assist in evacuating the campus.

“If you are in the middle of campus, please leave; LAPD will arrest those who do not disperse,” the university said.

USC Provost Andrew Guzman sent a campuswide email saying protesters were “threatening the safety of our officers and the campus community,” reported The Los Angeles Times.

“We have well-established policies regarding restrictions on the time, place and manner of free speech. These include a ban on the establishment of tents or other encampments, the use of loudspeakers, signs on poles or poles, and the disruption of classes and other essential functions of the university,” Guzman said.

‘[Protesters were] repeatedly asked by security personnel to remove their tents and other prohibited items and move to a compliant location. In both cases, the demonstrators refused. Their actions have escalated into a confrontation and have jeopardized the safety of our officers and the campus community.”

Unable to move their car, police released the prisoner, who then waved to the protesters to signal that they should return to the park

USC sent a message that the Los Angeles Police Department has been called in to assist in evacuating the campus

The protests come just over a week after the university announced its decision to ban the valedictorian from speaking at this year’s graduation ceremony on May 10.

Asna Tabassum, 21, was suspended for being outspoken in her pro-Palestinian support, causing her to be branded anti-Semitic.

The decision was met with anger on campus, with her fellow students accusing the university of censorship and 130 faculty members signing a letter demanding to hear her speak at the graduation.

Pro-Gaza groups descended on universities across the US and clashed with police and Jewish counter-protesters, with angry demonstrators spotted at the University of Texas, Austin, Harvard, UC Berkeley, Brown and NYU on Wednesday.

The meeting on the Austin campus was organized by the university’s Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSJ) chapter and quickly descended into anarchy.

The group said it was inspired by their “comrades” at Yale and Columbia University, where in-person classes have been canceled due to the unrest caused by “Gaza encampments.”

Police arrested at least four activists – who burst into tears as they were handcuffed – after warning them they could face criminal charges if they did not disperse.

A photographer covering the demonstration for the local Fox affiliate, Fox 7 Austin, was among those arrested after he was caught in a standoff between law enforcement and students.

In an effort to get ahead of the protests, Harvard University closed most of the gates of the famed Harvard Yard before classes on Monday and limited access to those with school identification.

Officials broke up a tent demonstration on the Los Angeles campus after students started their own camp in Gaza

USC security officials try to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters and take down tents

Protesters threw objects at officers sent to disperse them, including a rock, water bottles and water

The school also posted signs warning against setting up tents or tables on campus without permission. These efforts did not stop protesters from setting up a fourteen-tent camp on Wednesday, following a demonstration against the university’s suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee.

The situation at Columbia University in New York City remained tense; campus officials said talks with pro-Palestinian protesters would continue for another 48 hours.

University President Minouche Shafik had set a midnight deadline to reach an agreement to clear an encampment of protesters on campus, but the school extended negotiations and said it was making “important progress.”

Student protesters had committed to dismantling and removing a significant number of tents, the Ivy League university said in a statement.

Wednesday morning the camp seemed quiet and slightly smaller than the day before.