United States, Gaza | CNN: Los Angeles police fire rubber bullets at Gaza protesters at UCLA

CNN is one of several media outlets whose reporters have seen rubber bullets being fired. It is already known that stun grenades were fired.

On the night of Thursday local time, the police began to tear down the barricades around the tent camp that the demonstrators have set up. The sound of stun grenades – which explode with blinding light – could be heard as police moved in.

A handful of people have been arrested, and were led away with their hands behind their backs. The police systematically tore down the barricades of plywood, pallets, metal fences and rubbish bins. Then they started tearing down tents and canopies.

– Shame on you

It is estimated that several thousand people have gathered on the university campus. In addition to the 300-500 protesters in the tent camp, there are many supporters gathered around.

As stun grenades rang out and helicopters flew overhead, many protesters shouted “Where were you last night?” and “Shame on you”.

It refers to what happened during the demonstrations on the night of Wednesday, where large groups of counter-demonstrators came to the scene. When they attempted to demolish the camp, violent clashes ensued.

The police waited a long time to break in and calm the mood, which has led to reactions from a number of quarters. Among those who have criticized the police is California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Shown on TV

The police made several attempts on Thursday night to break down the barricades around the tent camp, but were stopped by the numerous demonstrators. On the third attempt, they succeeded.

Images of the police’s behavior are simultaneously shown on TV channels in the Middle East – both Arab, Israeli and Iranian. At a university in Baghdad, Iraq, students and staff organized demonstrations of support for Gaza and the American students on Thursday.

At Columbia University in New York, which has been at the center of the Gaza protests, the university administration has decided to close the campus and switch to digital teaching for the rest of the semester, according to NBC News. On Wednesday, the police entered the building that the students had occupied. There have also been clashes between police and demonstrators at a number of other universities in the USA.