UCLA taps LAPD, district attorney, FBI in investigation of attack on pro-Palestinian camp

UCLA’s chancellor on Monday night outlined actions the school is taking in the aftermath of mob violence against protesters on campus last week.

Chancellor Gene Block said university police would work with the LAPD and the county district attorney to identify and prosecute “to the fullest extent of the law” those who attacked the pro-Palestinian encampment. The university “also connected with the FBI about possible assistance,” Block said in a statement.

Just before midnight Tuesday, a large group arrived on the Westwood campus, some wearing masks. Some in the mob — seen live on TV and the internet — used plastic pipes and planks to strike pro-Palestinian protesters. As those inside used pepper spray and attempted to defend the site’s perimeter, attackers tried to rip down barricades and hurled objects. Fireworks were launched into the encampment.

“This was a truly despicable act,” Block said Monday.

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The violence went unchecked for several hours before dozens of officers from the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Police Department and other agencies arrived — a slow response that has spurred widespread consternation and scrutiny.

Rick Braziel, UCLA’s newly appointed associate vice chancellor and chief safety officer, will lead the “investigation to identify the perpetrators of the violence and hold them to account,” Block said.

The chancellor said Braziel would also be conducting “a careful review” of the UCLA Police Department response to the attack, as well as “an analysis of UCLA’s security protocols and a broader assessment of all acts of violence over the last 12 days, including those against counter-protesters.”

The chancellor said Los Angeles police have “committed a detective to assist in our investigative efforts, and we have also connected with the FBI about possible assistance.”

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School officials also have “spoken to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón,” he said, “to solicit his help in ensuring that the instigators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Block said the UCLA Police Department has been directed to “invest whatever resources are needed to conduct a rapid and thorough investigation.”

Campus police are reviewing video from the incident and interviewing witnesses, he said.

“We urge anyone who saw the violence firsthand or who has information about the attack to report it as soon as possible,” Block said.

The FBI said in a statement to The Times it was “in close contact with state and local law enforcement partners.” The agency added, “We respect the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their 1st Amendment rights and the FBI investigates individuals who violate federal law through violence or other criminal activity.”