University Protests Support Palestine Amid Israel-Gaza Conflict

TL/DR –

A pro-Palestinian protest encampment at UCLA was attacked by a group of individuals dressed in black and white masks, who used crude weapons and incendiaries. This information was provided to CNN by William Gude, who filmed the incident, and described the attackers as pro-Israel based on remarks made in the video. Gude also stated that the police arrived an hour into the attack but did not engage with the crowd or de-escalate the situation until several hours later.

UCLA Protest Encampment Attacked by Masked Individuals

On Tuesday night, UCLA’s protest encampment experienced sustained attacks from individuals dressed in black and white masks. They used crude weapons including poles and incendiaries, as revealed in a video shared by William Gude, an active observer of police conduct in Los Angeles.

Gude arrived at the protest site around 9:15 p.m. and filmed the events leading up to the outbreak of violence, as well as the aftermath. The video footage showed the assailants attempting to dismantle barricades at the pro-Palestinian camp and forcefully enter, while the protesters defended themselves with mace.

Details and Response of the Incident

Several skirmishes broke out between the two groups, persisting for nearly four hours. Gude identified the attackers as pro-Israel based on remarks in the video, with some even seen carrying Israeli flags.

Videos shared online depict the assailants dressed in black assaulting the pro-Palestinian protesters with sticks, alongside incidents of kicking and punching. Some footage shows police presence, but apparently not intervening in the clash.

Law Enforcement’s Delayed Reaction to UCLA Incident

According to Gude, the UCLA Police Department arrived approximately an hour into the attack, with the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Police Department joining later. However, no department intervened until much later. Gude noted that officers didn’t engage with the crowd until around 2:30 a.m.

While LAPD has referred CNN to UCLA Police for comments, CNN has reached out to all involved departments and UCLA for more details on the incident.

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