Late on Tuesday night, a group of pro-Israel counter-protesters stormed onto UCLA’s campus, tore down barricades of the Gaza solidarity encampment and assaulted pro-Palestine protesters with metal pipes, mace and pepper spray.
Anna, a spokesperson for the encampment who gave only her first name, told Al Jazeera that dozens of pro-Palestine protesters were injured in the attack, which took place partly under the gaze of police, who only stepped in after several hours.
“They were coming at us with metal pipes, said Anna. “Numerous people went to the hospital because of how badly they were injured. One person left in a wheelchair. Another had their hand completely smashed.”
The attack was the culmination of several days of harassment from pro-Israel groups, who previously tried to break into the camp and set up loudspeakers to disturb the pro-Palestine protesters.
Despite the violence and harassment, UCLA’s pro-Palestine protest has continued in force. And the students want their message to remain at the forefront.
“This is about how we… can bring attention to the plight of Palestinians and to the genocide in Gaza,” Anna said.
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