In anticipation of the police coming to eject their encampment, pro-Palestinian protesters put up barricades. Then, pro-Israel counter-protesters, wielding bats, pipes and boards, attacked.
Just before midnight, a large group, wearing black outfits and white masks, arrived on campus and tried to tear down the barricades surrounding the encampment.
Campers, some holding lumber and wearing goggles and helmets, rallied to defend the site’s perimeter.
Over several hours, counterdemonstrators hurled objects, including wood and a metal barrier, at the camp and those inside. Fights repeatedly broke out. Some tried to force their way into the camp, and the pro-Palestinian side used pepper spray to defend themselves. Fireworks were also launched into the camp.
The information about who did what to whom is scant and sketchy, with accusations flying in both directions, as well as claims that the attack was in retaliation for the protesters blocking access to the encampment and beating someone. It may have happened, or not. Regardless, self-defense is one thing. A retaliatory attack by a group of students who came prepared to do battle is another.
To add insult to injury, this went on for hours while the police did nothing.
It's so incredibly clear that the police stood aside and let a pro Israeli lynch mob run wild at UCLA. They did nothing for two hours as violent Zionists assaulted students, launched fireworks into the encampment, and sprayed mace on students. pic.twitter.com/kyT4mOLbMk
— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) May 1, 2024
While some will argue that the visceral desire to engage in violence is understandable, that in no way justifies the violence. Just because the encampments were unlawful, as was the preclusion of students from campus, responding by engaging in criminal conduct is illegal. If it’s accurate that a student who tried to enter the encampment was beaten, then only violence to the extent necessary to defend that person finds any justification, and then only to the extent of protecting the beaten student. It is not the trigger that permits counter-violence because “they had it coming.”
As for the police not immediately intervening to prevent the violence, to stop criminal conduct regardless of whether it was perpetrated by protesters or counter-protesters, this is a massive dereliction of duty.
The attack went uncountered for three hours, until dozens of officers from the California Highway Patrol, LAPD and other agencies arrived and restored order. The slow response sparked criticism and calls for investigations.
Unsurprisingly, pro-Palestinian supporters take the view that the police failure to intervene to prevent the violence reflected their antipathy toward the pro-Palestinian protesters. It may also reflect confusion on the part of police as to the propriety of engaging given the criticism and scrutiny of police involvement in ejecting the UCLA students from the encampment earlier. Of course, these were hardly comparable scenarios, and when people are being beaten with sticks and clubs, their duty to prevent the violence was as clear as could be.
What happened at UCLA does nothing to demonstrate that the protesting students were right or better in their actions. They were still engaged in unlawful conduct, and are still subject to whatever punishment the university imposes.
But that does not excuse the counter-protesters under any circumstances. To the extent they might have believed they held the moral high ground by being against the unlawful protesters, they squandered it by engaging in their own, and worse, criminal conduct of their own. Self-defense may be lawful, but retaliatory attacks are not. This violent engagement was criminal and the students who did so deserve to be arrested and prosecuted for their actions.
Something they apparently learned from the BLM/Antifa riots was that if you’re hooded and masked it is practically impossible to be identified so you can be charged. And while news coverage says cops initially stood off and didn’t intervene, it says nothing about how many there were at the start. a handful of cops isn’t going to get between to brawling mobs. You wait until you have adequate numbers to separate them. If there weren’t those numbers to begin with, it was poor planning on the part of the brass and administrators.
Before there were black-masked ANTIFA mobs or keffiyeh-wrapped SJP warriors there were white-hooded “knights” rioting around the countryside attacking the citizenry.
I cannot help but wonder if the UCLA counter-protesters was essentially a larger, more violent version of the guy stuck in traffic trying to drag Stop Oil people out of traffic so he can get to work. If so, it does not bode well.
Several articles, including in the LATime, say that there was a small UC police presence, so they had to wait for reinforcements to break things up.
Given the high tension protests at multiple colleges around LA, I really question why UC didn’t have more personnel on site. I also question why other police agencies didn’t have a plan for a shorter response time to deal with any unrest.
Presuming that currently peaceful protests will stay that way when there is violence at protests nationwide seems foolish.
My theory is that the UCLA administration thinks they are the “good guys” headlong protecting their student cash cows from reality, therefore it won’t happen to them. Instead they are now subject to the Pol Pot theory of political power.
A cynic would find that amusing to watch
One extremist’s By Any Means Necessary is another extremist’s Officer Come Quickly.
“Violent Zionists”? Maybe or maybe not. It could be an Antifa faction opposing the pro-Palestinian protesters due to their historic ties to Nazis and continuing praise of Hitler and Naziism today. Police do not really seem to have a firm grip on the identities of the various paramilitary thug groups, as the primary mantra for the last four years has been the hunt for “violent white supremacists.”
You had me at Rogue Antifa.
With each of these encampments I wonder if it would be feasible to barricade the protestors in after they refused instructions to leave. When their food runs out and they decide to leave through the one checkpoint provided, ID them for punishment (suspension pending expulsion hearing for students, arrest and charges for non students would be my suggestion).
In the words of Sonny in “A Bronx Tale” when bikers messed up his bar, “Now yous can’t leave.”
Antifa….the boogeyman that can be found everywhere.
Is anyone really surprised by this? It was only a matter of time. Expect it to get much worse before it gets better.
This will end when someone dies and brings real attention. And then the finger pointing and, lawsuits will begin.
Protest Yes! Occupation No!
Occupation is enfoced by a lot of low level and unseen violence against other students.
I was there in the 60’s. I have seen the 10% goons hiding in the peaceful mobs.
Violence against “the Other” is ancient. I’d argue that it’s even hardwired into human DNA.
No small part of civilization is recognizing and enforcing prohibitions against that sort of violence, regardless of the color of the mask or agreement with the cause.
That prohibition breaking down is just another sign that civilization is breaking down.
I’m told that tribes aren’t that bad, so long as it’s “your” tribe, though, so…..
What a shame a few just couldn’t control themselves and had to forfeit the high ground. But as others have said, it’s human nature.
“claims that the attack was in retaliation for the protesters blocking access to the encampment and beating someone.” “Beating someone” in this case refers to claims that a Jewish female medical student, maybe with an Israeli flag, was beaten unconscious, brought to ER, and temporary amnesia. The claims at least sound serious and more than just a few punches.
The UC police could have nipped this in the bud as soon as the barricades started going up. They chose not to. Per Castle Rock, the UC police have no duty to do anything really; neither the LAPD nor CHiPs. I would not advocate prosecuting any of them. They are not worth the expense of prosecuting. Why should the taxpayers be on the hook for prosecuting their misdeeds. Let their cuts, bruises, broken bones and wounded pride be their punishment.
“The UC police could have nipped this in the bud as soon as the barricades started going up. They chose not to.”
More likely they were ordered not to by the campus administration.
And they need to be identified and prosecuted so this can follow them throughout their working careers.