Gaza war protesters clash with police at new UCLA encampment

Gaza war protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles, clashed with police Monday, leading to the arrest of dozens of individuals as they tried to set up another pro-Palestinian encampment.  

Police say the protesters tried to set up three different encampments, starting at Janns Steps when a group of 100 people affiliated with a student organization put up tents, wooden shields and barriers to restrict movement in the area.  

Police warned the group multiple times to disperse, but when they did, they moved to their next location at Kerckhoff patio to set up an encampment.  

After the protesters left the patio due to police warnings, the third location was the courtyard at Dodd Hall and the School of Law. The police then arrested around 25 people for disruption of university operations.  

The police say the demonstrators disrupted students taking finals and damaged a fountain, patio furniture, fire safety equipment, vehicles and spray-painted walkways.  

UCLA Associate professor Graeme Blair, a member of Faculty for Justice in Palestine, said one student had to go to the hospital after they were hit with a rubber bullet. 

“They were shot in the chest from 10-15 feet range,” Blair told The Hill.

Monday’s protest come after most pro-Palestinian demonstrations have ended as college students have left their schools for the summer. 

The protests at the end of the school year led to thousands of arrests on U.S. campuses, with UCLA seeing some of the worst violence last month when pro-Israel counter-protesters attacked the pro-Palestinian camp.