Approximately 2,000 pro-Israel demonstrators gathered at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) on Sunday to oppose a “Palestine Solidarity Encampment” that had been established on campus the previous week. Upon arrival, participants had to navigate through a group of about 100 pro-Palestinian activists, some of whom were affiliated with the encampment. Local Black Lives Matter supporters also joined in to counter the pro-Israel protesters.
The situation became tense as families, including young children, faced verbal abuse and intimidation from the pro-Palestinian protesters, with no security presence from UCLA to protect them. While the university claimed a lack of personnel for providing security to the pro-Israel demonstrators, they deployed numerous security officers to guard the “encampment.”
Access to other parts of the campus was restricted, and a private security guard mentioned that the activists’ own security team seemed to have authority over her. This implied that UCLA had essentially delegated security responsibilities to the pro-Palestinian activists, who have been known to exclude media from their encampment.
Inside the pro-Israel protest, the atmosphere was celebratory yet tense, with patriotic songs and speeches by campus leaders and Jewish community representatives. The crowd engaged in dancing and singing to Israeli music. Scuffles broke out between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators, with some trying to disrupt the event by entering the pro-Israel crowd.
Overall, there were moments of civil dialogue amid the chaos, but tensions remained high throughout the protest. The location of UCLA, in an area with a strong pro-Israel presence, added to the intensity of the clash between the two groups.
