Police Response to UCLA Clashes ‘Unacceptable,’ California Governor’s Office Says

A riot began late Tuesday night between opposing groups after counter-protesters supporting Israel pulled down barricades at the Royce Quad encampment.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference in Sacramento, on Feb. 1, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office has criticized the response of campus law enforcement at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) following a riot late Tuesday night.

Student protesters demanding that UCLA cut all ties with Israel and condemn the ongoing war in Gaza set up an encampment in Royce Quad at UCLA on April 26.

Police announced the encampment was unlawful and those who refused to leave would be subject to arrest.

A riot broke out late Tuesday night between opposing groups after counter-protesters supporting Israel pulled down the barricades of an encampment.

University officials said Wednesday that campus operations would be limited on Thursday and Friday, with classes held remotely.

However, in a May 1 statement posted to social media platform X, Mr. Newsom’s office criticized the alleged subpar response from campus law enforcement during the violence.

“The limited and delayed campus law enforcement response at UCLA last night was unacceptable – and it demands answers,” the statement said.

“As soon as it became clear that the state assistance was needed to support a local response, our office immediately deployed CHP [California Highway Patrol] personnel to campus.”

According to Mr. Newsom’s office, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has been providing statewide law enforcement support, including “responding for assistance at UCLA throughout the night and early morning.”

“The state has established a robust Law Enforcement Mutual Aid System to provide law enforcement assistance to college campuses when requested during incidents beyond the capacity of local and campus police.”

In a separate statement posted to X, Mr. Newsom condemned the rioters’ actions and said the law in these cases is clear.

“The right to free speech does not extend to inciting violence, vandalism, or lawlessness on campus,” he said.

“Those who engage in illegal behavior must be held accountable for their actions, including through criminal persecution, suspension, or expulsion.”

Police Say They Were Outnumbered, Outmtached by Rioters

In a statement to The Los Angeles Times, UCLA officers say they only had a few people on hand when the riot kicked off. After attempting to intervene and after suffering attacks from protestors, they were forced to retreat.

According to the publication, unarmed private security guards were also present, but they were hired to protect campus buildings, not break up fights, stop riots, or make arrests.

Ultimately, CHP officers and other agencies took about three hours to bring the situation under control. The response to the violence is now under increasing scrutiny, with many criticizing UCLA for not dealing with the protesters sooner.

UCLA’s president, Michael V. Drake, has reportedly sent a letter to the University of California Board of Regents calling for an outside inquiry into how the protest and resulting violence were handled.

“There is sufficient confusion that I am ordering an independent external review of UCLA’s planning and its actions and of the mutual aid response by law enforcement,” he wrote in the letter.

“I believe such a review can address many of my immediate questions but also help guide us for possible future events.”

Students across the United States are protesting Israel’s war with Hamas. They are demanding that universities divest from any business ties with Israel and condemn the war, which was sparked on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel. Since then, Israel has responded with a military campaign to neutralize Hamas’ capabilities in Gaza.

The Hamas terrorist attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel, most of them civilians. According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, about 34,000 Gazans have been killed since the fighting began. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and noncombatants in its death count, but international criticism has mounted over the death toll in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian protests have recently led to crackdowns at Yale University, Harvard, Tufts University, Columbia, and New York University, among others.