Campus police faced off with pro-Gaza demonstrators at UCLA Tuesday afternoon, the latest instance of fiery tensions between protesters and the law enforcement body that polices the university.
The Tuesday demonstration, which had proven to be orderly and peaceful as of 3 p.m., was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, which has orchestrated similar protests in recent months that were eventually disrupted by police.
The student organization has called for UCLA to divest from the Israeli government and corporations that do business with it, something the University of California system has said it does not intend to do.
Video from Sky5, as well as photos posted to social media by campus news groups, showed dozens of protesters circling Bruin Plaza with campus police clad in riot gear and wielding batons nearby.
The UCLA Police Department posted on social media that officers were “working to resolve” issues regarding upwards of 100 people block walkways at Bruin Plaza.
UCLA has a controversial “Time, Place and Manner” policy regarding when and where students are allowed to exercise their First Amendment rights.
In October, one person was arrested after police broke up an “unauthorized” demonstration that coincided with a Jewish holiday and a speaking arrangement with rightwing pundit Ben Shapiro.
At this time, there have been no reports of arrests.
Campus police faced off with pro-Gaza demonstrators at UCLA Tuesday afternoon, the latest instance of fiery tensions between protesters and the law enforcement body that polices the university. The Tuesday demonstration, which had proven to be orderly and peaceful as of 3 p.m., was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, which has orchestrated similar […]
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