Demonstration - Part 2

As we noted yesterday, the Daily Bruin is carrying a "live feed" with regard to the encampment set up in Dickson Plaza. There appears to be a coordinated move at various universities around the country to use a Jewish custom - building a Sukkah - as a de facto encampment. Below is the feed from that resumes from where we left it yesterday afternoon in reverse chronological order. Apparently, the area was cleared by police last night. It is unclear whether some further activity will reoccur today:

10:04 p.m. – One individual was arrested at Dickson Court North for failing to obey a dispersal order for an unauthorized demonstration earlier this evening, according to a post on social media platform X by UCPD. The area is now clear of activity.

9:23 p.m. – The vast majority of police officers have now left Dickson Court.

9:18 p.m. – In a statement emailed at 8:04 p.m., Betar – a self-described national Zionist organization – had called for police to take action against the pro-Palestine protesters. “We demand police remove these thugs now and if not we will be forced to organize groups of Jews to do so,” it said in the statement.

9:13 p.m. – Private security and UCPD used BruinBus minibuses as part of the sweep of the demonstration. Around 50 CSC security staff are currently guarding the perimeter of Dickson Court.

9:10 p.m. – Pro-Israel protesters attempted to cross the court, showing CSC officers an Israeli flag they were carrying. The CSC officer responded by saying, “We’re not into that.”

9:07 p.m. – CSC private security officers are blocking people from crossing Dickson Court. CSC officers were unable to cite under whose authority or what statute they were blocking off the court.

9:07 p.m. – At 9:05 p.m., CSC security guards began loading remnants of the sukkah into a truck bed.

9:04 p.m. – Security guards began loading banners torn down from the sukkah into the bed of a truck.

8:58 p.m. – Police in riot gear handcuffed the detained person and walked them out of Dickson Court. One police officer said to the detainee, “You’re going to be cited.”

8:55 p.m. – According to a post from UCPD on social media platform X, officers announced a dispersal order just after 8:30 p.m. Although most protesters left in response, some remain in the area, the post said.

8:52 p.m. – Around 50 police officers surrounded pro-Israel counter-protesters outside Dodd Hall. The counter-protesters then moved towards Murphy Hall.

8:50 p.m. – Around 30 police officers in riot gear surrounded the sukkah from inside Dickson North Court, closing in from the south and west sides. A demonstrator was detained by police in riot gear.

8:40 p.m. – Around 20 police officers in riot gear lined up between Bunche Hall and Lu Valle Commons.

8:35 p.m. – Around 8:32 p.m., police officers in Dickson Court announced a dispersal order. At the same time, around 18 CSC security officers on foot lined up between Dodd Hall and Dickson Court North.

8:33 p.m. – Around 10 UCPD officers are lined outside Dodd Hall, carrying zip-tie handcuffs and batons. Pro-Palestine protesters carried tent equipment and poles out of the court.

8:31 p.m. – A large number of protesters ran out of Dickson Court North in the southern direction. There are still lights on inside the sukkah.

8:28 p.m. – Police officers in riot gear surrounded protesters in Dickson Court North, with around 10 officers lining up on the north side of the court. Officers told people to leave the court via the south side.

8:27 p.m. – Around 15 police officers in riot gear stood between Dickson Court North and Dickson Court South. Demonstrators started shouting, “Free, free Palestine.”

8:22 p.m. – Around 12 police officers in riot gear lined up on the south side of Dickson Court North. Pro-Israel protesters shouted, “We love you LAPD,” in response. The Daily Bruin was not able to confirm which agency the officers belonged to.

8:21 p.m. – Pro-Palestine protesters in Dickson Court have begun disassembling tents, packing them into carry bags.

8:19 p.m. – A UCPD car followed by several minivans arrived in Dickson Court North. Around 15 police officers in riot gear exited the minivans on the court’s west side.

8:14 p.m. – Around 8:10 p.m., pro-Israel counter-protesters, including students, entered the sukkah set up by pro-Palestine demonstrators.

8:12 p.m. – Around 30 counter-protesters arrived in Dickson Court North and began to heckle pro-Palestine protesters. In response, pro-Palestine protesters attempted to form a line to prevent them from accessing the sukkah. Graduate SJP at UCLA posted a screenshot of a tweet from People’s City Council that referred to the demonstration as the “Gaza Solidarity Sukkot Encampment.” The tweet also calls for people to come join the demonstration, which currently has around 30 people. Demonstrators are currently having an open meeting to discuss the defensibility of their sukkah. An organizer said in a speech they currently lack barricades or people in numbers to defend their tents. At the open meeting, demonstrators also discussed relocating their protest to the courtyard inside Perloff Hall. One organizer said the goal was to keep the sukkah standing for seven days.

6:44 p.m. – Around 6:45 p.m., demonstrators in Dickson Court North started to set up a tent.

5:27 p.m. – At 5:15 p.m., demonstrators hung a new banner from Perloff Hall reading, “Divest from Genocide.”

5:14 p.m. – In response to the skirmish line, around eight UCPD officers in riot gear wearing red-tagged helmets rushed in to defend the CSC security staff. As the officers left the courtyard, pro-Palestine protesters chanted, “UCPD, KKK, IOF, you’re all the same,” and, “Cops off campus.”

5:12 p.m. – At 5:09 p.m., around a dozen CSC security employees with bikes came and attempted to take the new sign hung outside from Perloff Hall. In response, demonstrators attempted to protect the sign, pushing and shoving security staff. The sign, which read “UCPD is Fascist. Abolition Now,” is no longer visible from Dickson Court North. The CSC security staff have since left the area on bikes.

4:20 p.m. – At 4:18 p.m., a UCPD police car stopped outside Dickson Court North to take pictures of the demonstrators. UCLA Media Relations did not respond in time to requests for comment about plans for policing the demonstration.

3:05 p.m. – Chabad at UCLA and Alpha Epsilon Pi also set up a sukkah in Bruin Plaza on Monday morning. A fire marshal from UCFD did not respond to a request for comment as to whether that temporary structure is a fire hazard – which UCFD declared the sukkah in Dickson Court North to be.

Source: https://dailybruin.com/2024/10/21/live-graduate-students-for-justice-in-palestine-demonstration.