Violent clashes between protesters at a university in California – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

There is a full-on fight between demonstrators and counter-demonstrators at UCLA University in Los Angeles.

Pro-Israeli students are said to have fired rockets into the tented camp of the pro-Palestinian protesters demanding an end to the war in Gaza.

– Terrible acts of violence occurred at the camp this evening, and we immediately called the police for help, says the university’s spokesperson Mary Osako in a statement, according to CBS.

She adds that the fire service and medical personnel are on the scene.

– We are tired of this senseless violence and it must end, said Osako.

Earlier in the day on Tuesday, there were clashes between protesters and Jewish students, when protesters blocked the entrance to the library.

Illegal demonstrations

The management of the university UCLA declared on Tuesday evening the demonstrations against the war in Gaza as illegal.

The students were warned that they would be arrested if they did not leave the university premises.

– The established camp is illegal and violates the university’s guidelines, the university wrote in a statement.

The university wrote that those who choose to stay, both students and staff, may be subject to sanctions. One of the sanctions may be exclusion from the university.

The demonstrators still refused to end their protests.

– We are not going to leave. We will stay here until our demands are met. You justify the mistreatment of the students in the camp in the same way that you justify their participation in the Palestinian genocide, the protesters wrote in a statement, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Wooden pallets and moped

At least one person must have been taken to hospital, but it is not clear whether the injuries are serious, reports CBS.

The counter-protesters threw wooden pallets and a moped at protesters and the two groups fought over a metal fence between them.

The pro-Israel protesters wave a yellow flag with a royal crown. The flag is used by Orthodox Jewish-Hasidic congregations.

Riot police have arrived on the university campus.

The mayor of Los Angeles says police immediately responded to UCLA’s request for assistance in dealing with the situation.

The university’s own police are said to have first tried to handle the situation on their own.

The police in Los Angeles are said to have left the scene after the injured person was taken to hospital.

Two hours after the clashes began, police officers are said to have been observed in a nearby car park.

Many demonstrations

It’s been almost a week since protesters against the war in Gaza set up a tent camp at UCLA.

The demonstrators are demanding an end to the war in Gaza and that the US should not contribute to the Israeli attacks with weapons.

In addition, the protesters demand that the universities cut all financial ties to Israeli interests.

Recently, there have been many demonstrations against the war in Gaza at various universities in the USA. The police have entered Columbia University in New York, where demonstrators occupied one of the university’s buildings.

According to CNN, over 1,000 protesters have been arrested at more than 25 different universities.

The demonstration will also have been in 21 different states in the country.

The top leader of California universities says he is a supporter of free speech, but supports UCLA’s decision to declare the demonstrations there illegal.

– When this freedom stands in the way of the students’ opportunity to learn, or to express their point of view, and when it disrupts the functioning of the university, or threatens the safety of students and others, then we must act, he writes in a statement.