Police at UCLA seeking to disperse protesters as crowd grows in size

WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Authorities declared an unlawful assembly at UCLA Wednesday evening and began preparing to disperse a massive crowd of protesters and counter-protesters that had grown in size after violent conflicts on campus overnight.

The Los Angeles Police Department declared a tactical alert as officers in riot gear positioned themselves on campus to remove protesters who all day had been signaling their intentions to dig in to their positions.

During the daytime, members of the pro-Palestinian protest group were handing out supplies that included umbrellas, helmets, gas masks and goggles. A sign at one tent read “Protection kits 4 tonight.” Some protesters were also seen bringing in plywood to rebuild walls that had been torn down during the overnight chaos.

“What happens next in my eyes is we still stay here,” said Alicia Verdugo, one of the student protesters. “We stay here until further notice, until our demands are met.”

An official crowd size was not available but footage from AIR7 HD showed what appeared to be thousands of people.

A large law enforcement presence, including LAPD, the Sheriff’s Department and CHP, was also on campus Wednesday in contrast to the night before.

By around 8 p.m. dozens of officers in riot gear appeared to be positioning themselves in skirmish lines.

The night before, at least 15 people were injured during hours of clashes. There was no police presence on campus for at least three hours as protesters and counter-protesters fought, in some cases using metal barricades and plywood as weapons, as well as deploying bear spray and tear gas.

UCLA authorities were facing sharp criticism Wednesday over their apparent delay in requesting assistance from police. When CHP and LAPD officers were finally brought in, they began clearing the crowds around 3 a.m. Wednesday.

DEVELOPING: This story will be updated.