Video: Hundreds Of Cops Enter UCLA Amid Huge Students' Protest

Hundreds of police officers clad in riot gear stormed the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) campus to dismantle a pro-Palestinian protest camp that had become a focal point of tension. Less than 24 hours prior, the camp had been subjected to a violent attack by pro-Israeli supporters, prompting authorities to intervene.

Eyewitnesses reported a scene of chaos as helmeted police officers forcibly removed barriers and wood panels that had been erected as defenses by the camp's occupants. The operation, which began around 3:15 am PDT, aimed to arrest those who refused to vacate the premises.

Initially numbering between 300 to 500 officers, the police presence swelled to around 2,000 as additional reinforcements gathered outside the camp's barricades. Flash-bang devices reverberated across the campus as police attempted to disperse the protesters, some of whom fought back, shouting slogans and shining bright lights at the officers.

The confrontation followed a violent clash the previous evening, sparked by a surprise assault from masked counter-demonstrators on the tent city. Both sides engaged in physical altercations and deployed pepper spray before law enforcement intervened to restore order.

Criticism swiftly followed the unrest, with a spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom decrying the "limited and delayed campus law enforcement response" as "unacceptable." As a result of the clashes, UCLA announced the closure of the campus, except for limited operations, on Thursday and Friday.

The raid at UCLA mirrored similar actions taken elsewhere, notably at Columbia University in New York City, where pro-Palestinian activists were arrested after occupying a building and setting up a tent city on campus.