On Tuesday morning, we brought you the story about a Jewish mother who asked UCLA police to help her son who was being prevented from going to class because Hamas sympathizers had taken over part of the central campus. The mother was told by UCLA PD that they would not interfere with “protesters”. There had been some violence at that time, but by Tuesday afternoon UCLA administrators had declared the camp “unlawful.” They also said that antisemitic acts of certain participants would not tolerated.
🚨BREAKING🚨 UCLA has declared camp unlawful, and protestors are engaging in “self defense” training right now according to their telegram group. pic.twitter.com/JUxvpXxFRK
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) May 1, 2024
The LAPD was expected to tear the camp down as early as tonight and there were expected to be fights between police and protesters.
BREAKING🚨: Using a drone I was able to get EXCLUSIVE UCLA Pro Palestine encampment footage. They are TRAINING protestors in hand to hand combat as LAPD expected to tear down the encampment as soon as tonight, and potential fights with police expected.
The school has deemed the… pic.twitter.com/SmLSX6cPjG
— Anthony Cabassa (@AnthonyCabassa_) May 1, 2024
The violence began when professional agitators flooded onto the campus, and fired fireworks at the encampment.
By 11 pm, the private security officers had abandoned their posts and UCLA PD was nowhere to be seen.
BREAKING 🚨: SECURITY HAS ABANDONED THEIR POSTS, Armed men now fighting and launching items at each other from either side of the encampment. Total chaos, there’s ZERO police presence. pic.twitter.com/mHtgHivjlY
— Anthony Cabassa (@AnthonyCabassa_) May 1, 2024
#UCLA there’s no police stopping the fights that are happening this evening at 11:46 pm Pacific. pic.twitter.com/4bOj8qsNUz
— NONBidenary (@KellyLMcCarty) May 1, 2024
Cabassa reported just after midnight Pacific that law enforcement was still absent.
UCLA UPDATE 🚨: Still ZERO law enforcement present, dozens of people needing medical assistance, and this man appears to be bleeding profusely in his right arm. Security ordered to stand down, no LAPD presence. A Jewish woman said multiple men assaulted her, no security help. pic.twitter.com/32pMZqtLCa
— Anthony Cabassa (@AnthonyCabassa_) May 1, 2024
Marla Tellez, Fox LA’s reporter in Los Angeles, announced around 12:15 AM Pacific that UCLA PD had requested mutual assistance from LAPD. As of 12:45 PM Pacific, neither UCLA PD nor LAPD was on the scene. Private security officers were observing from a staircase.