Name: UCLA Students Express Fear After Protesters Clash on Campus
Uploaded: 2024-05-02T03:16:19.000Z
Description: WESTWOOD, Calif.—Students walking past a barricaded quad area May 1, where violent clashes erupted overnight on the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, said they feared for the safety of their classmates.

Jack Bradley is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Jack previously anchored "NTD Newsroom" and worked as an assistant producer for the show. 

Jack Bradley

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the U.S. and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

China’s Broken Promises Loom Over New Trade Deals

David Lam is a national correspondent based in California and a part-time anchor for "NTD Tonight." Before joining NTD he was a financial analyst.

David Lam

Californians React as Trump Calls for Gas Tax Suspension

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

Federal Agencies Announce ‘Summer Surge’ of Law Enforcement into DC Ahead of 250th Anniversary

Christina Corona is a California-based reporter for NTD News. She primarily covers California news, politics, and entertainment.  

Christina Corona

Trump Administration Reports Zero Border Releases

Arian Pasdar is an international correspondent for NTD News based in South America. His reporting focuses on immigration and key events in Latin America.

Arian Pasdar

US to Host 1st Ever World Cup Final Halftime Show, Featuring Shakira, Madonna

Savannah Pointer is a politics reporter for The Epoch Times. She can be reached at savannah.pointer@epochtimes.us

Savannah Hulsey Pointer

Jason Perry is an Army veteran and NTD's National Security Correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Jason primarily covers border security, national defense, foreign wars, and veterans' issues.

Jason Perry

Health News

Texas Children's Hospital to Open First-Ever Detransition Clinic Under Deal With DOJ

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

Citizens Honor Police for Their Service and Sacrifice

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

Trump ‘Projecting American Influence and Leadership’ on Iran Issue in Beijing: China Expert

Chris Bob is a reporter for NTD and a host of "Profiles of Service." He is also a small business owner. Chris graduated from Union College with a concentration in politics and religion in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Chris Bob

Senate Panel Advances Crypto Regulation Bill

Jason Blair is a national correspondent for NTD News based in California. 

Jason Blair

Lawmakers Weigh ‘Sanctuary’ Polices After Woman’s Death in Virginia

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 15)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 11)

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 10)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 9)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 7)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 6)

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

WESTWOOD, Calif.—Students walking past a barricaded quad area May 1, where violent clashes erupted overnight on the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, said they feared for the safety of their classmates.

Hundreds of student protesters sympathizing with Palestinians, in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, occupied Royce Quad on Wednesday afternoon, as police announced the encampment was unlawful and those who refused to leave would be subject to arrest.

The group calling itself the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment set up the <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/pro-palestine-encampment-established-on-ucla-campus-5637511" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">encampment April 26</a>, one day after a similar protest collapsed across town at the University of Southern California when nearly 100 protesters were arrested.

Classes were canceled at UCLA Wednesday following a riot that began late Tuesday night between opposing groups after counter-protesters supporting Israel pulled down barricades of the encampment. Officials said Wednesday that campus operations would be <a href="https://bso.ucla.edu/">limited</a> on Thursday and Friday, with classes held remotely.

Early Wednesday morning, UCLA officials called for police backup after the groups began fighting. People threw chairs and other objects while others were kicking and beating each other during what would become an hours-long riot. A viral social media video showed fireworks exploding over the encampment.

No arrests were made at the time, no officers were injured, and no force was used by officers, according to a statement by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

The university system plans to investigate the incident, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-30/ucla-moves-to-shut-down-pro-palestinian-encampment-as-unlawful" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Los Angeles Times</a>.

In a letter to the University of California Board of Regents, President Michael V. Drake said there was “sufficient confusion” surrounding the violence and he ordered an independent review of the university’s planning, actions, and law enforcement response.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also vowed to conduct a full investigation into Tuesday's riot. Anyone involved in launching fireworks at other people, spraying chemicals, and assaulting others would be "found, arrested, and prosecuted," she said in a post on X.

The scene was measurably more peaceful Wednesday morning as masked protesters restricted visitors to the encampment. The group posted monitors at the barricades as supporters arrived carrying bottled water, food, and other supplies.

Media and other members of the public were not allowed into the encampment.

The “media team” representing the pro-Palestinian protesters declined to speak with The Epoch Times but held interviews outside the barriers with other film crews.

A demonstrator holds a poster reading "UCLA Faculty and Staff We Stand with our Students" as UCLA faculty and staff members demonstrate next to the pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 1, 2024. (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)

Campus security officers guarded other entrances to the quad blocked by steel barriers. Those who were allowed to pass through carried cases of bottled water, pizza boxes, boxes of sensitive skin hand wipes, Target bags, and other supplies.

The group reportedly sent out a notice earlier in the day requesting helmets, headlamps, shields, knee and elbow pads, umbrellas, medical supplies, and hot lunch, including vegan and gluten-free food, according to Fox News.

The protesters vowed to continue the encampment until the university stops investing in Israel or companies that support the war in Gaza.

Vanessa Muros, a UCLA staff researcher, waited in line to be let inside to visit with someone in the encampment before going back to work, she said.

The violence the night before “upset her,” she told The Epoch Times.

“In terms of what happened last night, I’m very upset on behalf of the people in the encampment,” Ms. Muros said. “I’m here every day and it’s really peaceful. The people who came last night were really just coming to start trouble. People got hurt. It really sort of endangers the people there and their protests, and what they’re trying to do here, which is really important.”

Senior UCLA student Dalton Locicero, 21, said class closures are interfering with midterm exams, but he’s more worried about the safety of the protesting students.

“I’m much more concerned about the health and safety of my classmates,” Mr. Locicero told The Epoch Times. “When there’s open violence like that, it’s scary. I feel like my classmates aren’t protected ... and I shouldn’t feel that way at UCLA.

“This is a renowned university,” he added. “I shouldn’t be worried about the health and safety of my peers.”

UCLA’s Chancellor Gene Block canceled classes Wednesday. The school’s library won’t reopen until Monday and Royce Hall has been vandalized, according to authorities. The building was expected to be closed through Friday.

Mr. Block sent a message to the university’s community about the encampment.

“Many of the demonstrators, as well as counter-demonstrators who have come to the area, have been peaceful in their activism,” he said. “But the tactics of others have frankly been shocking and shameful.”

The violence is “completely at odds with our values,” the chancellor wrote.

“UCLA supports peaceful protest, but not activism that harms our ability to carry out our academic mission and makes people in our community feel bullied, threatened and afraid,” Mr. Block said. “These incidents have put many on our campus, especially our Jewish students, in a state of anxiety and fear.”

The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, an organization that fights poverty and combats antisemitism, said it was appalled by the recent unrest on the UCLA campus, placing blame on the university’s administration for the violence.

“We are appalled at the violence that took place on the campus of UCLA last night,” the federation said in a post on X Wednesday. “The abhorrent actions of a few counter-protestors last night do not represent the Jewish community or our values.”

The federation called on the chancellor and the university to immediately shut down the encampment and to meet with leaders of the Jewish community and elected officials to discuss how UCLA would ensure safety for all on campus to prevent future violence.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also condemned the violence in a <a href="https://twitter.com/cagovernor/status/1785726369886056913?s=61&t=i2kqn6YMWZsYMsEF84J8VA" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">statement</a> Wednesday.

“I condemn the violence at UCLA last night,” he said in a post on X. “Those who engage in illegal behavior must be held accountable for their actions–including through criminal prosecution, suspension, or expulsion.”

Activists with Revcom Core, an organization of revolutionary communists with a branch in Los Angeles, walked around the UCLA campus Wednesday in support of the pro-Palestinian protesters.

“What these students are doing is righteous and right,” one of the group’s members, Chantelle Piper, told The Epoch Times. “It’s incredibly important that students here in this country are rejecting that genocide and calling for an end to it. We’re here to say that they are right to do so.”

The group is organizing for a revolution to overthrow “the system of capitalism and imperialism that’s at the root of all this unnecessary oppression,” she said.

A handful of other students trickled through the quiet pathways between buildings.

Charlie, 19, a second-year student who asked not to use his last name, was relaxing on a campus lawn Wednesday afternoon but said he was kept awake as helicopters hovered above his dorm during the overnight violence.

“It’s definitely tense, to say the least,” he told The Epoch Times. “I have some friends who have been going over to the encampment most days.”

He said he had an issue with the protest affecting classes. Two buildings that face the occupied quad were closed.

“It shouldn’t interfere with classes,” Charlie said. “Other than that, I think just protests on both sides are just a healthy way of people expressing themselves.”

University officials have not yet said whether they plan to allow the encampment to continue indefinitely, or cancel more classes or graduation ceremonies, which are scheduled for June in Royce Hall. USC canceled its main graduation ceremony on its main quad last week citing safety and other concerns.

A request for additional information on the recent clash or its next steps regarding the encampment was not returned on deadline.

The LAPD and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department returned to the UCLA campus Wednesday afternoon to provide security, according to a sheriff’s department spokesman.

A large group of protesters were shown in videos posted on social media gathering on the lawns near the encampment, reportedly preparing to rally. Several police units were parked nearby.

Although the sheriff’s department could not comment on UCLA specifically, the department was aware of the rising tensions on college campuses around the nation, according to spokesman Deputy Daniel Dominguez.

“We have been in close communication with our law enforcement partners and are assisting them with providing security, while ensuring a peaceful environment for everyone involved,” Mr. Dominguez told The Epoch Times.

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/ucla-students-express-fear-after-overnight-clash-of-protesters-5641697">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Latest

Videos

israel

Palestine

04_Top Stories

Hamas

Latest Clips

UCLA

California

Jill McLaughlin is an award-winning journalist covering politics, environment, and statewide issues. She has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico. Jill was born in Yosemite National Park and enjoys the majestic outdoors, traveling, golfing, and hiking.

Jill McLaughlin

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.