The riot began when a group of protesters began to tear down the barriers that were in place to delimit the pro-Palestinian protesters. A few hours earlier, UCLA officials had declared the encampment illegal. Security personnel hired by the university were seen in yellow vests standing by throughout the event. The university spokesman declined to comment on the response of the security teams.
In the videos, protesters are seen shooting fireworks at the encampment at least 6 times. Some of the demonstrators sprayed chemicals both into the encampment and directly in people’s faces. Sometimes, protesters attacked individuals – sometimes a group also attacked one person. They were seen punching, kicking and attacking people with makeshift weapons including sticks, traffic cones and planks of wood.
In one video, protesters hiding inside the encampment are heard shouting “Hold the line!”. In several cases, protesters in the camp are seen fighting back, using chemical spray on those who try to destroy barriers or hit with sticks. None of the videos analyzed by the Times show a clear case where protesters from the encampment initiated clashes beyond the protection of the checkpoints.
Around 1 a.m., more than two hours after the violence erupted, a spokesman for the mayor’s office released a statement saying that UCLA officials had called the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for help, and they were responding “immediately.” Officers from a separate law enforcement agency, the California State Guard, began converging on the area around 1:45 a.m. The LAPD riot squad joined them a few minutes later. Demonstrators applauded their entry, chanting “USA, USA, USA!”.
Only four minutes after the police arrived, protesters attacked a man who was standing tens of meters from the police. About fifteen minutes after the police arrived, a protester is seen in the video spraying a chemical substance at the encampment during a fight over a metal barrier. Another protester was seen hitting someone in the head near the encampment. 15 minutes later, the protesters organized an attack towards the checkpoints.
Throughout the violence, the police were recorded in the video standing about 300 meters from the area for about an hour, without intervening. It wasn’t until 2:42 in the morning that the police began to advance towards the encampment, after which the protesters dispersed and the violence between the two camps largely ceased. The LAPD and California State Guard did not respond to questions from The Times about their responses Tuesday night, and referred UCLA.
On Wednesday, UCLA President Gene Block issued a statement calling the actions of “inciters” who attacked the encampment unacceptable. A spokesman for California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the delayed response by campus law enforcement and said it demands answers. Jewish and Muslim organizations from Los Angeles also condemned the attacks.
Hussam Iloush, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Los Angeles area office, called on the California attorney general to investigate the police’s lack of response. The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles accused UCLA officials of creating an unsafe environment for months, saying officials “were slow when law enforcement was required.”
15 people were reportedly injured in the attack. The night after the attack began, law enforcement authorities warned the pro-Palestinian protesters to leave the encampment or face arrest. By Thursday morning, the police had dismantled the encampment and arrested more than 200 people.