Thousands of people turned out to the University of California, Los Angeles campus Wednesday night, just short of 24 hours after violence broke out between demonstrators in the pro-Palestinian encampment and pro-Israeli counter-protesters.
On Wednesday, Sky5 was overhead as a large law enforcement presence began to position themselves on different sides of the encampment.
Not long after police showed up, authorities ordered demonstrators to disperse, declaring the encampment an unlawful assembly over a loudspeaker.
Aerial footage showed hundreds of demonstrators locking arms in front of the path leading to the encampment and reinforcing barricades, as law enforcement surrounded the encampment.
Hours later, at around 9 p.m., demonstrators were still occupying the encampment with police on the outskirts despite the orders to disperse issued earlier in the afternoon.
The crowd outside the encampment grew into thousands as the night continued, though the rowdy demonstration remained mostly peaceful even as law enforcement, including officers from the California Highway Patrol, increased their presence.
Hostilities outside the encampment had been simmering since demonstrators took over Royce Quad last Thursday, setting up dozens of tents and surrounding themselves with metal fences and wood pallets.
At around 11 p.m. Tuesday night, some 50 pro-Israeli counter-protesters, many of them dressed in black and wearing white masks, lobbed fireworks at those in the encampment and attempted to dismantle the barricades.
For at least two hours, campus police stood by as both factions traded punches, hurled items at each other, and dispersed pepper spray and fire extinguishers in a chaotic scene that wasn’t contained until around 2 a.m. when LAPD officers arrived.
Demonstrators said they believe UCLA Chancellor Gene Block’s statement on Tuesday labeling the encampment as “unauthorized” provided an opening for counter-protesters to take matters into their own hands.
According to police, no arrests were made, and no force was used.
School officials on Wednesday morning, canceled all classes as a result of Tuesday’s violence.
Officials also announced that Royce Hall will be closed through Friday and that Powell Library won’t reopen until Monday.
Throughout Wednesday night, demonstrators booed as law enforcement, dressed in riot gear, set up what appeared to be skirmish lines on different sides of the encampment, many of them chanting, “We don’t see no riot here! Why are you in riot gear?”
Around midnight, protesters inside the encampment remained in place and no arrests were reported.
Universities across the country are taking varying approaches to encampments that have taken root on their campuses, with some allowing them to remain and others calling in police to break them up.
Amid final exams and upcoming graduations, Columbia students are grappling with fluctuating tensions on campus and the national attention these protests have received.
Pro-Palestinian protests and encampments are springing up at numerous colleges, leading to arrests and heightened security concerns. Here’s what's happening.
Tensions have flared during protests at Columbia University and elsewhere across the country. The demonstrators have made it clear they're against Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, but what do they specifically want? Here's a look at what protesters are really demanding.
Kansas City Chiefs players Wayna Morris and Chukwuebuka Godrick were arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession, according to a Johnson County Sheriff.
Ready for your pre-summer perusal: A massive patio umbrella for over half off, a 65-inch Hisense smart TV for under $500 and a Keurig hot/iced coffeemaker for nearly $70 off.
The Surface Pro 10 for Business is basically just a chip upgrade over the previous model, but it’s still a thin, light and well-designed Windows tablet.
Choosing where to bank is a key financial decision, but you may be wondering what’s better: online banking vs. traditional banking. Here’s what to know.
Meta is once again taking on its competitors by developing a feature that borrows concepts from others -- in this case, BeReal and Snapchat. The company is developing a feature for Instagram called “Peek” that would allow users to post authentic pictures that can only be viewed once. While Snapchat popularized the idea of ephemeral content on social media, BeReal led the trend of posting authentic, unedited content.
While an AI-generated photo of Katy Perry at the Met Gala isn't a major cause for concern, Instagram's fact-checkers taking hours to flag it indicates a larger issue social platforms have to grapple with regarding AI.
The iPhone could be going the way of the iPad Pro by becoming much thinner next year. However, you'll may have to pay quite a lot for this rumored slender model, which may replace the Plus in the annual iPhone lineup.