UCLA anti-Israel protesters clash with police after blocking access to campus buildings

Police once again clashed with protesters at the University of California Los Angeles as anti-Israel demonstrations returned to campus.

Anti-Israel protesters rebuilt an encampment on the college grounds on Thursday, occupying space around Kerckhoff Patio. 

Protesters erected wooden barriers and blocked access to a small portion of the campus. Officials warned demonstrators to clear the "unlawful assembly" but were rebuked. 

Around noon, multiple police departments collaborated to swiftly quash the protests. 

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Anti-Israel protesters tried to hold space again on the UCLA campus. The protesters initially attempted to occupy an outdoor space and then aimed to take over Dodd Hall, a university building. (Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Footage showed law enforcement and protesters in various physical altercations.

"There is reasonable cause to find that demonstrators’ activities — including erecting barricades, establishing fortifications, and blocking access to parts of the campus and buildings — are disrupting campus operations," said a statement from Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Becks and Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Safety Rick Braziel.

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University of California Police secure Dodd Hall after clearing the area of anti-Israel protesters on the University of California, Los Angeles, campus. The protest coincided with a congressional hearing on campus protests where UCLA Chancellor Gene Block testified. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The statement continued, "Demonstrators have been informed that if they do not disperse, they will face arrest and possible disciplinary action, as well as an order to stay away from campus for 7 days."

The latest round of protests coincided with UCLA Chancellor Gene Block's appearance before the House Education Committee for a hearing on anti-semitism at U.S. universities.

"With the benefit of hindsight, we should have been prepared to immediately remove the encampment if and when the safety of our community was put at risk," Block told the committee.

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An anti-Israel protester holds a Palestinian flag in a demonstration at the University of California, Los Angeles, on May 23, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)

Tensions on UCLA campus reached their climax on April 30, when police stormed a much larger encampment and arrested over 200 individuals. 

A further 40 people were arrested on May 6 and sporadic demonstrations have popped back up repeatedly since then.