Police arrested 25 protesters in support of the Palestinian cause and broke up an encampment declared illegal at UCLA Monday night, a month after officers broke up a weekslong encampment there and arrested hundreds.
The UCLA Police Department said in a statement early Tuesday that about 150 protesters remained at the scene and accused activists of vandalizing university property and disrupting final exams, which are taking place this week.
There has been a flaring of tension on major U.S. college campuses in recent days, weeks after police moved to break up protests across the country, from New York to California, arresting more than 2,000 people.
In a brief statement, Mary Osako, UCLA vice chancellor for strategic communications, said: “Our Students Affairs and Campus Safety teams are on site to help ensure the well-being and safety of our community.”
Police arrived Monday after about 100 people “set up an unauthorized and unlawful encampment with tents, canopies, wooden shields, and water-filled barriers,” at the top of the Janss Steps after 3:15 p.m.
Police called out a dispersal order through a loudspeaker, warning protesters they were part of an “unlawful assembly,” and the group moved on, police said.