According to a source familiar with the situation, law enforcement has declared an unlawful assembly concerning a pro-Palestinian encampment located at the university’s quad.
Typically preceding orders for dispersal or arrest, the declaration of an unlawful assembly is a measure often taken by the police.
On Wednesday, CNN observed a substantial presence of law enforcement personnel, comprising over 100 officers from various agencies, as they entered the campus. Among them were officers donning riot helmets and equipped with zip ties.
Aerial footage captured by CNN affiliate KABC depicted numerous police vehicles and a mobile command post for law enforcement, congregated at the parking lot of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, approximately a mile away from the UCLA encampment.
The aerial footage further revealed a significant gathering of individuals outside the encampment on Wednesday evening, with most seen seated on the ground opposite the camp’s entrance. Inside the encampment, the scene was bustling with activity, with over 80 tents dotting the grass and people moving about.
As the evening progressed, a CNN crew on-site observed a formation of LAPD officers forming a barrier between the encampment and the external group of protesters, which had steadily grown by around 8:30 p.m.
