Chaos erupted at UCLA late Tuesday as protesters violently clashed at a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus.
The clashes have continued for more than two hours – into early Wednesday – after law enforcement didn’t immediately respond to the scene. Meanwhile, brawls continued to escalate with people getting beaten and barricades being used as weapons.
The violence escalated just before 11 p.m. when counter-protesters surrounded the encampment. There were multiple occasions when fireworks were thrown inside the encampment. People were also seen using sticks as weapons during the skirmishes.
It’s unclear how many people have been injured.
LAPD officials said they were in contact with campus police. The CHP also confirmed it was requested to send units. But more than two hours of clashes passed with no uniformed campus police or LAPD officers on scene.
“Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support,” Mary Osako, vice chancellor for UCLA Strategic Communications, said in an email to UCLA’s campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin.
