Police forcibly removed numerous defiant pro-Palestinian protesters at several colleges on Thursday, including dismantling an encampment at UCLA, highlighting the increased chaos at universities this week.
In the early morning, police in helmets swarmed a tent city at the University of California, Los Angeles, using flash bangs and riot gear to push through lines of protesters attempting to halt their advance. Los Angeles police reported 210 arrests at UCLA, with hundreds more at other universities overnight and on Thursday.
"I'm a student here," one UCLA protester said as he was led away, his hands bound. "Please don't fail us. Don't fail us."
Later, the student, identified only as Ryan, returned to campus and vowed to continue fighting. "We will be back," he said, after being cited for unlawful assembly. "We will be disrupting. We will be demanding divestment."
Students at numerous universities have rallied or set up tents in recent days to protest Israel's actions in Gaza. They have called on President Joe Biden to do more to stop the bloodshed and demanded that schools divest from companies supporting Israel.
Several schools, including Columbia University, have called in police to quell the protests.
Biden addressed the demonstrations on Thursday after the UCLA raid, stating that Americans have the right to protest but not to resort to violence. "Destroying property is not a peaceful protest," he said. "It's against the law."
At UCLA, police repeatedly urged demonstrators to clear the protest zone before moving in. Dozens of loud explosions were heard from stun grenades as officers took down tents and tore apart barricades.
Some protesters had prepared for the siege, donning hard hats, goggles, and respirator masks. By morning, the plaza was strewn with debris from the encampment.
In Portland, police entered the Portland State University library on Thursday morning, where demonstrators had barricaded themselves since Monday. Several dozen protesters were arrested as they rushed into a phalanx of officers in riot gear.
Police made more arrests at the library on Thursday night as demonstrators attempted to retake it. A university spokesperson described the situation as "very fluid."
In New Hampshire, police arrested approximately 100 protesters at Dartmouth University and the University of New Hampshire overnight, breaking up encampments.
The protests followed a deadly attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza and an ensuing Israeli offensive.
The campus demonstrations have been met with counter-protesters accusing them of fomenting anti-Jewish hatred. The pro-Palestinian side, including some Jews opposed to Israeli actions in Gaza, say they are being unfairly branded as antisemitic for criticizing Israel's government and expressing support for human rights.
UCLA had canceled classes on Wednesday following a violent clash between the encampment's occupants and a group of masked counter-demonstrators. UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said the clashes had put students in harm's way and had to end.
Taylor Gee, a 30-year-old pro-Palestinian protester and UCLA law student, said the police operation on Thursday felt "especially galling" to many protesters given the slow police response a night earlier.
UCLA officials said the campus, with nearly 52,000 students, would remain shuttered except for limited operations on Thursday and Friday.