The Los Angeles Police Department detained several demonstrators at a pro-Palestine protest Wednesday at the University of Southern California campus, where officers clashed with participants as tensions rose.
Police officers clashed with protesters who set up encampments on the campus of USC as the students took part in the pro-Palestine demonstrations that were growing across the U.S. on Wednesday. According to LAPD, about 93 arrests were made as of 10 p.m.
Those who were arrested were booked at LAPD’s Metropolitan Division in Downtown Los Angeles on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing. In response to the arrests, another protest was held by pro-Palestine supporters outside of the detention center.
Amid the unrest at the school, USC closed its campus gates after students and protests began an “occupation” of USC’s Alumni Park Wednesday to call for the university to cut financial ties with Israel amid the ongoing war.
“Anyone coming to campus should be prepared to show an ID at the gates for class or for business,” USC alerted. “Please continue to avoid the center of campus unless you have a class.”
Video from NewsChopper4 showed campus police attempting to break down some of the encampments set up for the Gaza Solidarity Occupation demonstrations that took place across the country. Around 5:30 p.m., the LAPD issued a dispersal order to remove the protesters from campus.
While the demonstration began as peaceful, tensions escalated as the evening progressed. At about 6 p.m., some demonstrators became rowdy and threw objects at officers, including a rock, water bottles and water.
Refusing officers’ orders, numerous protesters linked in arms and continued their chants, making their intentions to continue with the demonstration clear. Law enforcement said if any arrests are made they would be made by the USC Department of Public Safety.
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were also assisting campus police as the university put out a help call, the law enforcement agency confirmed. The university also sent an alert for students and faculty members, warning them of “significant activity at the center of the UPC campus due to a demonstration.”
Nearly 100 protesters were arrested for misdemeanor trespassing following a pro-Palestine demonstration at USC. Robert Kovacik reports for the NBC4 News on April 24, 2024.
Photos: Pro-Palestine protest at USC
Public reaction
One Jewish student told NBC4 he was feeling uneasy over his safety on campus.
“My leg can’t stop shaking, my heart is pounding,” said USC student Coby Russo. “I woke up this morning to see that this was happening on campus and the second I arrived here, as a Jewish Israeli I have my hamsa, I always wear it out, but the second I got here I put it away.”
“I have my parents calling me from the East Coast asking me if I’m OK, if I’m safe and honestly, I’m not,” Russo said.
Despite his safety concerns, Russo said he was committed to remaining a student at USC.
Another student, who participated in the demonstration, shared why he was called to join the movement.
“It’s about the suffering of the Palestinian people, the martyrs there, and trying to put an end to the Israeli occupation and to the genocide that’s ongoing,” said a pro-Palestinian protester who identified himself only as Desmond.
Dozens of LAPD officers respond to a pro-Palestine protest at USC, where tensions heightened between law enforcement and participants. Eliana Moreno reports for the NBC4 News on April 24, 2024.
Jacob Wheeler, a former NBC4 intern and current USC student, said he recognized several demonstrators as students and members of the community who have participated in previous protests.
“The tensions are extremely high, people were fearing that this was going to happen, to put it quite frankly. The tensions have been rising on campus for weeks since the valedictorian controversy,” Wheeler said. “These people are obviously passionate about their cause. Jewish students, at the same time, think this is creating a hostile environment for them.”
One woman, named Sara, told NBC4 she decided to show up to the campus to show her support for the movement.
“I really wanted to come show solidarity on one hand for the students but first and foremost, with the people of Gaza and the West Bank, as well,” she said. “I always expect protesters to be peaceful, I’m really familiar with this movement and I heard that the police were bringing a little bit of tension into the mix, so some of it has caught me by surprise. The protesters are remaining composed and dignified and I really admire them.”
As students demand their schools cut financial ties with Israel, protests are spreading at campuses across the U.S., with encampments now established at Brown University, the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California State Polytechnic, Humboldt.
The FBI is coordinating with college campuses to make them aware of antisemitic threats and possible violence in connection with the ongoing wave of protests, FBI Director Christopher Wray told NBC News’ Lester Holt in an exclusive interview.
This is a developing story.
Dozens of Los Angeles Police Department officers prepare to disperse pro-Palestine demonstrations at USC. Tracey Leong reports for the NBC4 News on April 24, 2024.