Inside UCLA's Palestinian Solidarity Encampment — Before Police Tore It Apart

More than 200 UCLA students, faculty and staff were arrested early Thursday morning after police destroyed the campus’ Palestinian solidarity encampment, wielding batons and less-lethal munitions to break up the crowd and disassemble the barriers to the tent community that was erected one week ago.

The encampment, which stretched across the lawn by Royce Hall, was established last Thursday by hundreds of students calling for the University of California, Los Angeles, to divest from all companies with ties to Israel and disclose the finances of the school’s foundation.

UCLA’s encampment is just one of dozens of similar campus protests across the country since Israel’s military assault on Gaza, which was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that left about 1,200 people dead and about 240 taken hostage. Since then, Israel Defense Forces have killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to local health officials.

Since April 18, when students at Columbia University in New York City began protesting Israel’s offensive in Gaza, more than 1,600 people have been arrested at 30 college campuses nationwide.

By Thursday evening, hours before the UCLA encampment was destroyed, it hosted a vibrant community of students, faculty members and volunteers, and was equipped with donations of extra clothing, blankets, food, personal protective equipment, first-aid supplies, hygiene products, a space to pray and legal observers.

“We have a program here. We have workshops, teach-ins, self-defense classes,” said Ismael, a 22-year-old UCLA student who requested to be identified only by his first name. Ismael came to the encampment on Sunday straight from the airport after a camping trip, he said. Asked why he chose to