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Students protesters at UCLA don’t feel protected by police: Report
The Associated Press (AP) news agency reports that Muslim organisations in the US and students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have blasted university officials and police for failing to intervene and protect them from pro-Israeli attackers.
Rebecca Husaini, chief of staff for the Muslim Public Affairs Council in the US, said protesting students at UCLA do not feel protected by the police following the attacks on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.
“The community needs to feel the police are protecting them, not enabling others to harm them,” Husaini said after a night of violence on Wednesday during which students at a peaceful pro-Palestinian encampment on the Los Angeles campus were verbally harassed, pepper sprayed and beaten by pro-Israeli attackers.
Several students who spoke to AP said they had to rely on each other, not the police, for protection as they were attacked, and that many in the pro-Palestinian encampment remained peaceful and did not engage with the attackers.
‘Intense criticism’ of UCLA administration following attack on peaceful Gaza encampment
We are inside the University of California, Los Angeles, and behind me, the Gaza solidarity encampment, that was set up by student protesters, they have been spending some time today reinforcing the barrier that keeps them from being attacked by the forces that were so violent yesterday and overnight.
The fallout has been intense.
There is a lot of criticism of the administration of this university, and a lot of criticism and questioning about why the police weren’t here when the pro-Zionist, pro-Israel mob approached and overwhelmed the security guards that were in place, threw aside all the barriers that were in place, and tried to break into the camp.
They used fireworks, irritant chemical sprays, poles made of metal and sticks made of wood – as well as fists and feet – and more than 100 students were injured, according to protest organisers, some of whom were admitted to hospital.
The faculty at this university is up in arms.
More than 200 of them have signed on to a letter harshly criticising the administration and making a series of demands, including that the police not be unleashed on the student encampment and that no student be disciplined for exercising their right to free speech.
And saying if that is not adhered to by the administration, the faculty will consider other measures including work stoppages.
Activists say UCLA Palestine encampment assault followed days of harassment
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/2/activists-say-ucla-palestine-encampment-assault-followed-days-of-harassment
Classes at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) were cancelled on Wednesday following attacks on a Gaza solidarity encampment by pro-Israeli supporters the previous night.
UCLA’s administration released a statement condemning the “horrific acts of violence” against the encampment, which was erected in protest at Israel’s war on the Palestinian territory where at least 34,568 people have been killed and 77,765 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7.
Anna, a spokesperson for the UCLA encampment, told Al Jazeera that dozens of pro-Palestine protesters were injured or pepper-sprayed in the attack, which lasted from late Tuesday night into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Anna added that the attack was carried out partly under the gaze of police, who only stepped in several hours after the violence began.
A pro-Palestinian protester, centre on the ground, is beaten by a group of pro-Israeli attackers on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) on May 1
Questions raised over why police response to attacks on UCLA students ‘took hours’
This group of people from outside the campus community are not students … who were waving Israeli flags, and shouting slogans and insults, have been here for days and they have attempted to break into the camp, and they have used violence.
So it is very puzzling as to why there were no police here at the moment when the riot started. Even more puzzling as to why it took hours for the police to arrive.
This is Los Angeles. This is not some remote location out in the country.
There are Los Angeles Police Department vehicles and policemen, as well as the California Highway Patrol, at the disposal of the mayor and the governor to respond in very quick order to these types of disturbances.
It is perhaps a matter that will be investigated in the future. But as for now, there are police on the campus. There are policemen scattered about this lawn … They have riot batons and helmets.
So there is the hope that this outburst, this spasm of violence will not repeat itself once darkness falls. But the students inside the encampment are taking no chances. They are preparing to defend themselves, and they say they are not going anywhere.
