SHOCKING footage showed the moment flashbangs went off as law enforcement officials in Los Angeles moved into an anti-Israel encampment at a college campus.
Tensions boiled over between Los Angeles police and anti-war protesters as officers equipped with riot gear leveled tents and makeshift barricades set up by demonstrators on the campus of the University of California.
The overnight standoff descended into chaos by 3 am on Thursday as police moved into the encampment and began dismantling the mini village of tents on the campus' Royce Quad.
Los Angeles police repeatedly announced over loudspeakers that protesters should leave the area immediately before they infiltrated the encampment.
The shocking footage showed armed police officers pulling down metal barriers and ripping apart makeshift shields from keffiyeh-wearing protesters forming a human chain.
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Multiple bangs can be heard going off in the background as smoke fills the air of the campus.
Protesters challenged law enforcement officials by shining flashlights in the eyes of officers, according to Fox affiliate KTTV.
Hundreds of people were detained by police and hauled away with their hands zip-tied behind their backs.
It's unclear how many people were arrested by Thursday morning.
At least one Los Angeles police officer was injured.
The police operation came after UCLA declared the camp unlawful.
Hours before the clash with riot police, anti-war demonstrators were confronted by dozens of counterprotesters who threw fireworks and tear gas at the encampment.
VIOLENCE RAGES AT US COLLEGES
The violent incident at UCLA comes as campus protests in support of Gaza spread across the United States and Canada.
Numerous universities have witnessed tents being pitched as part of a wave of protests by students, facility members, and staff demanding an end to Israel's actions in Gaza.
The demonstrators are demanding that firms half the sales of weapons and services to Israel.
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Protestors nationwide have set up encampments on college campuses and closed-off buildings, refusing to leave.
Encampments have been dismantled at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, the University of Arizona in Tucson, and Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
On Tuesday, waves of New York City police officers were granted permission by the president of Columbia University to enter the campus and dismantle the anti-war encampment.
Over 300 protestors were arrested at Columbia University and the City of College of New York, about a mile north of the Morningside Heights campus.
Meanwhile, at least 34 demonstrators were arrested at the University of Wisconsin.
On Thursday, police in Portland began an operation to clear Portland State University's Millar Library, which anti-war protesters have occupied since Monday.
President Joe Biden condemned the anti-war demonstrations, saying the violence spewing from the encampments were not "peaceful protests."
"Let me be clear, violent protest in America is not protected, peaceful protest is," the president said from the White House on Thursday.
"It's against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest, it's against the law.
"Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellations of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest.
"Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law.
"It's a matter of what's right. There's a right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos."
'THE DEAL IS THERE'
As anti-war demonstrations continue to spread nationwide, the war between Israel and Gaza rages, leaving more than 35,000 people from both nations dead.
Since Hamas launched a full-scale attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, an estimated 1,200 Israeli civilians have been killed.
The retaliation by Israel against Gaza has resulted in the death of more than 34,000 Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to invade the already-battered Gaza city filled with refugees.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Israeli leaders on Wednesday and called on Hamas to accept the latest proposal for a cease-fire with Israel to end the bloodshed.
"There's no time for further haggling. The deal is there," Blinken said before he was set to leave Israel.
