Thursday, May 2, 2024 10:54AMLaw enforcement officers Thursday morning began closing in on the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA, where a large crowd of protesters remained hours after authorities declared an unlawful assembly.
Around 2:40 a.m., CHP officers in riot gear arrived at the campus and confronted protesters, prompting a tense standoff. The dispersal order was issued after 6 p.m. Wednesday, and the Los Angeles Police Department declared a tactical alert as officers in riot gear positioned themselves on campus to remove protesters who all day had been signaling their intentions to dig in to their positions.
During the daytime, members of the pro-Palestinian protest group were handing out supplies that included umbrellas, helmets, gas masks and goggles. A sign at one tent read "Protection kits 4 tonight." Some protesters were also seen bringing in plywood to rebuild walls that had been torn down during the overnight chaos.
Police have ordered protesters to disperse from the UCLA campus after an encampment grew in size during the daytime Wednesday.