LOS ANGELES: Police thwarted attempts by pro-Palestinian demonstrators to set up a new encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles, where officers cleared a previous camp this spring after it was attacked by counterprotesters.
Approximately 25 people were arrested late Monday for willful disruption of university operations and one for interfering with an officer, UCLA police said in a statement. The individuals were cited, issued 14-day orders to stay away from UCLA and then released.
The demonstrators repeatedly tried to set up tents, canopies and barriers as they moved to various locations, disrupting nearby final exams. The group also damaged a fountain, spray-painted brick walkways, tampered with fire safety equipment, damaged patio furniture, stripped wire from electrical fixtures and vandalized vehicles, the statement said.
Protest camps have sprung up on university campuses across the US and in Europe as students demand their universities stop doing business with Israel or companies that support its war efforts. Organizers have sought to amplify calls to end Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which they describe as a genocide against the Palestinians.
UCLA has been repeatedly roiled by protests and the university administration’s handling of the situation.
At one point, a pro-Palestinian encampment was attacked by counterprotesters, with no immediate response from police, and dozens were then arrested as the camp was cleared. The episode led to reassignment of the campus police chief and creation of a new campus safety office. A subsequent attempt to set up a new camp was also blocked.
Monday’s protest comes just days before University of California regents are scheduled to meet at UCLA and this coming weekend’s commencement ceremonies.
Dozens arrested in new pro-Palestinian protests at University of California, Los Angeles
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Dozens arrested in new pro-Palestinian protests at University of California, Los Angeles
- Approximately 25 people were arrested late Monday for willful disruption of university operations
- The demonstrators repeatedly tried to set up tents, canopies and barriers as they moved to various locations, disrupting nearby final exams
Russian missiles attack port infrastructure near Ukraine’s Odesa, kill seven
- At least 15 people were also injured in the Russian missile strike, said Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba
A Russian missile attack late on Friday on port infrastructure around Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa killed seven people and injured 15, Ukrainian officials said.
“In the late evening, Russia attacked port infrastructure in Odesa region with ballistic missiles,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on Telegram.
Kuleba and Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said that, according to preliminary reports, seven people were killed and 15 injured. A source familiar with the matter said the attack was on Pivdennyi — one of three ports in the area.
Odesa, a focal point of Ukrainian grain and other exports, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks since Russia invaded its smaller neighbor in February 2022.
The intensity of the attacks has increased in recent days. One strike damaged a bridge southwest of Odesa and cut a major route between the city and the Danube River port of Reni and complicated border crossings to Moldova and Romania.
