Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has drawn parallels between the recent attack on a pro-Palestinian “encampment” at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) by pro-Israel vigilantes and the Capitol rioters of January 6, 2021. The encampment had reportedly harassed Jewish students, assaulted journalists, and blocked access to campus for several days. Despite the security contractors and law enforcement being instructed not to intervene, a group of about 100 pro-Israel vigilantes eventually attacked the encampment on the night of April 30-May 1, leading to fights. Following this incident, Bass committed to prosecuting those involved and authorities have been using tactics from the January 6 investigations to identify suspects.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bass underscored the comparison to the January 6 attack, expressing concern over the sudden outbreak of violence at UCLA. She also questioned the university’s decision to allow a pro-Israel counterprotest to take place next to the pro-Palestinian encampment. Contrary to Bass’s remarks, the encampment had posed threats and assaults towards journalists and had not been peaceful, as it had taken control of a section of the campus forcibly.
The university’s handling of security during the pro-Israel counter-demonstration allowed for confrontations between pro-Israel protesters and pro-Palestinian activists, leading to small-scale scuffles. Overall, the situation at UCLA has raised concerns about the safety and management of campus events.
