Pro-Palestine protests: Violence mars US universities, hundreds arrested as police take over campuses

Hundreds of protesters have been arrested in last 24 hours as protests against Israel's bombardment of Gaza continue at university campuses across the nation.

The majority of protesters have called for the divestment from companies that support Israel and the war in Gaza.

Announcements broadcaston the University of California Los Angeles campus on Wednesday (May 1) told demonstrators to disperse or they would be arrested.

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The protesters largely stayed in place, chanting pro-Palestinian slogans.

UCLA posted on X that campus operations will be limited on Thursday and Friday with all classes required to pivot to remote instruction.

California's governor's office criticised the slow response of law enforcement to a violent incident at UCLA. The incident involved a clash between a pro-Israeli group and a pro-Palestinian student encampment.

A masked pro-Israeli group assaulted a pro-Palestinian student camp before the police officers were called to the campus.

Governor Gavin Newsom's spokesperson said the limited and delayed police intervention was unacceptable.

State officials and university leaders claim security personnel were promptly deployed to the pro-Palestinian encampment on Dickson Plaza after clashes erupted late Tuesday (Apr 30) night.

According to some eyewitnesses, the law enforcement intervention was delayed, emphasising that intervention was absent for a brief period of time at night.

"Law enforcement simply stood at the edge of the lawn and refused to budge as we screamed for their help," UC Divest at LA, a group involved in the encampment, alleged in a statement.

Protesters began to leave the site two hours after the attack began and policeestablished control on Wednesday (May 1).

Governor Newsom condemned the violence in a post on X, stating, "The law is clear." "The right to free speech does not extend to inciting violence, vandalism or lawlessness."

He said those responsible "must be held accountable... including through criminal prosecution, suspension, or expulsion".

As per a report in the Los Angeles Times, there were only a few UCLA police officers on hand and they retreated because they were outnumbered by the crowd.

According to the newspaper report, reinforcements were called from California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles and it took three hours to bring the situation under control.

The late-night confrontation at a prominent public university in the US occurred just hours after police in New York cleared out a Columbia University building that had been occupied by student protesters.

The protests at Columbia over the conflict in Gaza have sparked comparable demonstrations at universities across the country.

These protests, both at large and small schools, public and private, have spread to more than two dozen states, with activists calling for educational institutions to sever financial relationships with Israel and companies benefiting from the ongoing war.

The university officials said they had a high-security presence in the area, but declined to disrupt what they acknowledged as "largely peaceful" demonstrations.

On Tuesday, a large pro-Israeli group in black outfits and white masks arrived on campus and attempted to dismantle the barriers.

The masked counter-protesters struck campers with sticks and bats, sprayed them with mace and bear spray, and tore down their signs and boards.

College leaders are facing increasing pressure to curb pro-Palestinian protests as these demonstrations continue to spread nationwide.

Watch:Pro-Palestinian protesters atColumbiaUniversity take over campus

On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams mentioned that among the approximately 300 arrests on New York campuses, several involved "outside agitators".

(With inputs from agencies)