UCLA protesters were filmed doing combat training just before police stormed in and arrested hundreds at a pro-Palestinian encampment.
Police raided the Gaza solidarity camp near the California school on Wednesday evening after students defied orders to leave. At least 132 protesters were arrested and one officer was injured during the tense confrontation between demonstrators and officers dressed in riot gear.
Drone footage taken just before the officers stormed shows the students learning hand-to-hand combat techniques.
The group can be seen handing out instructions via a megaphone, while a balaclava-wearing member appears to carry out self-defense tactics – in scenes that reminded some online commentators of jihadist training.
UCLA protesters were filmed doing militant-style combat training moments before police stormed in
Drone footage taken just before a nighttime standoff on Wednesday shows the students learning hand-to-hand combat techniques taught by a protester wearing a balaclava
The Gaza encampment popped up outside Royce Hall as protesters urged UCLA to divest companies that profited from Israel’s war against Hamas.
The filmed group performed various scenarios in front of a crowd that gathered in a circle around them. At one point, one of the group members approaches another and appears to hit them in the head.
A second demonstration shows a person appearing to act out how to pull someone’s leg after being kicked.
Shots from above show the rows of tents close together in the sprawling encampment.
Palestinian flags hang everywhere, while signs and banners are pressed against the metal fencing surrounding the camp.
Some protesters were seen wearing hard hats, goggles and breathing masks ahead of the siege, a day after the university declared the camp illegal.
Objects, including water bottles, were thrown at officers as they entered the compound on Wednesday, according to a CHP spokesperson.
Initially, a small group of police officers were forced to retreat by pro-Palestinian demonstrators before busloads of riot police arrived and smashed through the camp’s barrier.
Objects, including water bottles, were thrown at officers when they reached the UCLA compound, according to a CHP spokesperson.
At least 132 protesters were arrested and one officer was injured during the tense confrontation between demonstrators and officers dressed in riot gear.
The crowd of protesters resisted police attempts to disperse them as they pulled signs and shields from the group
LAPD protester arrests protester during encampment breach early Thursday
An activist is stopped and led away from the scene by an officer
The crowd of protesters resisted police efforts to disperse them as they pulled signs and shields from the group.
With police helicopters hovering overhead, the sound of booms, which produced a bright light and loud noise to disorient and stun people, could be heard as police moved in, amid chants of, “Where were you last night?”
Those arrested were booked into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Jail in downtown Los Angeles. It is unclear how many of those arrested are students and teachers.
By morning, the square was littered with trash from the destroyed encampment: tents, blankets, food containers, a Palestinian flag, an upturned helmet.
Police remained on site for the first half of the day as the area was cleared of debris.
Classes have been moved to remote learning and Royce Hall will remain closed through Friday, university officials confirmed.
Students were warned that they could face consequences, including expulsion or criminal charges, if they remained at the site. Staff were also told they could face disciplinary action.
Students have gathered at dozens of universities or set up tents in recent days to protest Israel’s war on Gaza and to ask their institutions to get rid of companies that profit from the war against Hamas.
Dozens of protesters camped outside Royce Hall in scenes reminiscent of those on other campuses
Those arrested were booked into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Jail in downtown Los Angeles. It is unclear how many of those arrested are students and teachers
By morning, the square was littered with rubbish from the destroyed encampment: tents, blankets, food containers, a Palestinian flag, an upturned helmet
Protesters have called on President Joe Biden, who has supported Israel’s right to defend itself, to do more to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and demanded that schools be divested from companies that support the Israeli government.
Many of the schools, including Columbia University in New York City, called in police to quell the protests.
Biden broke his silence Thursday on the demonstrations after the UCLA raid, saying Americans have the right to protest but should not unleash violence.
“Destroying property is not a peaceful protest,” he said at the White House.
‘It’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, closing campuses, forcibly canceling classes and graduations – none of this is peaceful protest.”
Police remained on site for the first half of the day as the area was cleared of debris
Classes have been moved to remote learning and Royce Hall will remain closed through Friday, university officials confirmed
Students were warned that they could face consequences, including expulsion or criminal charges, if they remained at the site
The scenes at UCLA were reminiscent of those on campuses across the US, including Columbia and CUNY, that were raided by the NYPD on Tuesday.
In Portland, Oregon, police stormed the library of Portland State University on Thursday morning, where demonstrators had barricaded themselves since Monday.
Several dozen protesters rushed out of the building and into a phalanx of officers in riot gear, who arrested them.
In New Hampshire, police arrested about 100 protesters in separate incidents at Dartmouth University and the University of New Hampshire, breaking up encampments.
The protests follow Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took dozens hostage, and a subsequent Israeli offensive that killed about 34,000 people and sparked a humanitarian crisis.