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CNN International: Police Move Into UCLA Encampment, Detain Protestors; Police Fire What Appear To Be Rubber Bullets At UCLA. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired May 02, 2024 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[08:00:00]

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello everyone. Police in Los Angeles clearing a UCLA encampment after days of protests against the war in Gaza. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You're watching CNN's breaking news coverage here.

There have been some chaotic scenes at UCLA as police move in to a pro-Palestinian encampment. Officers are tearing down barricades that protesters had set up. And earlier, the university declared the encampment to be unlawful. Dozens of people have been detained. You're looking at live pictures right now. You see Los Angeles Police in their gear, ready to move in to bring out more protesters who are now subjects where this encampment is being taken down, the encampment made up of barricades and plywood placards that some demonstrators had actually drilled into place. Now, all of that is being torn down.

CNN Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem is joining us now from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Good to see you this morning, Juliette. So, this was inevitable, right? I mean, these encampments were put up, UCLA conveyed that time was drawing near where these protests would have to end. And now, in the middle of the night, some 3:30 a.m. Los Angeles time, police were brought in and they made their move. Help people assess what we're seeing right now.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So, we're -- so far, and I'm going to judge this on by the minute because it's dark as well, so far, what we've seen in pictures is essentially the police constricting the movement of the protesters, and the protesters getting arrested. So, it's been a long time since we've had campus protests like this, and this is the best case scenario. Right? I mean, the students were out protesting. We see no violence. We see no counterattacks right now. And the arrests are part of what protest is. And so, hopefully, by the end of this in a couple hours, we'll just -- the best news would be just lots of arrests, and then the criminal process, if the university -- however the university wants to decide this, will be ongoing.

There is -- there was an intervening issue. This is something I've been saying on air for the last two weeks. Like, you're part of what colleges and universities need to do is anticipate and then try to de- escalate some of these sort of -- these tensions that are rising. And last night, as we saw thugs claiming, I don't know who they were, to be pro-Israel interest had come into the camp and beaten up a lot of people. That left the university really in no position but to do this, because the faculty were upset by it. Basic security precautions hadn't been taken by the college to protect the protesters.

So, I know -- I just want to end with this for now. I know tensions are very high about the ideologies of the different camps and pro- Palestinian or pro-Israel. I know those emotions can be very high. But, colleges and universities have a responsibility to allow for protests. That's pretty normal in terms of student action, but also protect all students. And I think what we're seeing in some of these instances is a failure of those universities and colleges to take a step back and think of, what do we need to do to control these environments? I would argue that Columbia was the same way. It was the takeover of the building that should not have been taken over that led to the events two nights ago. So, we judge things as they unfold, and this would -- good news in a couple of hours would be just arrests.

[08:05:00]

WHITFIELD: And we're talking, as we are looking at these live pictures, and you can see movement, what appears to be law enforcement because you can see the helmets there, who were walking. There is the element of surprise, which would be advantageous for or any jurisdiction, municipal, police department to do this, perhaps at this hour, element of surprise, catch people off guard. At the same time, it is dark. So, that would seem rather --

KAYYEM: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: -- disadvantageous, especially as you saw some of the demonstrators who seem to maybe have the upper hand for a moment that they had flashlights, beaming flashlights in the eyes of police. So then, what do you see here in terms of how this kind of method works to do in the middle of the night?

KAYYEM: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: Maybe people were supposed -- some people may have been sleeping. You catch them off guard.

KAYYEM: Right.

WHITFIELD: But, at the same time, you have to equip your law enforcement with the right stuff so that they can fully execute this.

KAYYEM: So, I probably have a different take on this than there may be others. But, look, this -- each police action has to take into account it's the environment that it's in. You don't go into to one place versus another. So, I have long said, I have no opinion about the ideologies of either campuses. Protest isn't per se bad, and the most of these colleges and universities are dealing with student protests about an issue that is very emotional, in responsible ways. These student protesters, as far as we know, have -- none of them have been arrested for anything but the protesters, no allegations of anything in terms of violence or weaponry. There might have been an increased threat environment because of what happened last night.

So, the element of surprise wasn't really necessary. I mean, in other words, the university has an interest here in de-escalating. But, I have to say -- I keep saying I like what I see, it's a weird way to put it, but as a parent of college students too, these are special environments, and it's not like you're walking into (inaudible), places like -- has lots of gangs or guns or whatever. These are special environments. And students are energized about a very deep issue in the world right now. And if it ends with peaceful protesters who are acting unlawfully, I don't mean to defend them on that being arrested, then that would be a good police action.

But, I'm not sure. The middle of the night thing seems a little bit heavy handed. There might be a reason why they did that. It's not like we're not getting pictures out of it. I mean, if they were trying to hide it, (inaudible) is not working.

WHITFIELD: Right. And you mentioned something earlier. I mean, yes, every college campus wants to encourage or has an environment where they would encouraged protest. I mean, that really does help embody a level of independence and finding your voice when you're on college campuses. But, you mentioned also, when you have what New York Mayor Eric Adams called "outside agitators", the dynamic is different. So, where is the responsibility of a campus or university to then field and be able to surveil? Who is coming on campus? I mean, who is allowed --

KAYYEM: I agree.

WHITFIELD: -- to protest? Or what do you do about making the observation that there are "outside agitators", quote, unquote --

KAYYEM: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: -- who have come to campus? How do you then weed out and say, OK, students, you can stay here and do this for this period of time, or here are the parameters, but the rest of you cannot? I mean, how does --

KAYYEM: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: -- are we seeing the consequence of the difficulty of any college campus being able to --

KAYYEM: Right.

WHITFIELD: -- do that?

KAYYEM: Well, some are going to be easier. I mean, as we were talking about earlier, so each of these are going to be contextual. If you have a New England small campus that you can control access. UCLA, I grew up in Los Angeles in the shadow of UCLA. You could not control access to a university that is four miles in diameter, and that doesn't include other parts of the campus. What you could do is control access to places that are authorized for protests. And that's -- that seems to me not to have been -- that is a precautionary measure that these colleges and universities can take.

But, I also want to be careful about the -- I felt like Eric Adams, the Mayor of New York City, really went on strong yesterday about the outside agitators. But, I mean, the data is not proving it. We have to be careful about thinking, oh, these students are not smart and they're just being taken over because it's -- the reason why is it becomes a crutch for thinking that these colleges and universities don't have to do anything. Right? They do. Their students are energizers, their students.

[08:10:00]

We have a little bit of mayhem on the left hand side there I see, but hope that there is going to always be those people who do that. So, in New York, for example, they're not finding the big numbers of the outsiders. So, it's an important part of control of lawful protests. But, for the most part, most of the images that we're seeing are there was peaceful but unlawful protests, and the protesters are now getting arrested. This is the way it used to be, and I guess the way it is now in terms of how campuses are reflecting the divisions in our society, that is what they are. Our politics are divided over this issue, and so are the --

WHITFIELD: OK. Juliette Kayyem, stick with us. Thank you so much. I appreciate your perspective.

I want to go to the UCLA campus now. CNN's Camila Bernal filed this report moments ago

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CAMILA BERNAL, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- possible because those police officers are also making progress and moving into the encampment. You see here behind me is all the tents that the police officers were able to push out of the way, as they were moving in to the encampment. This whole area was part of the encampment. And now what you're seeing is sort of an encirclement by police officers as they continue to fire these flashbangs in the air to try to disperse the crowd. There are definitely a lot more police officers than protesters are at the moment. It's actually hard to see where these protesters are. But, they are in a group in the middle of all of these police officers.

Off to the other side what I think is happening is that they're also getting rid of that barrier that those protesters had set up with some of the plywood and the metal barriers. So, you're seeing some police presence off in the back. You're hearing the group of protesters in the middle still chanting and still very much defiant, despite the fact that they are surrounded by law enforcement officers. We have not seen them move in closer in the last couple of minutes. But again, you just never know when these officers move in closer and closer to give these protesters less room. And then, you continue to see people being arrested and being detained and being moved out of this area. We also are seeing a bus ready right next to this area to take a lot of these people that are being detained.

So, as you're seeing now, these police officers are trying to get some of that garbage or some of the things that were in the encampment. They are right now moving in closer and closer. You're seeing that happening at the moment as they move out the tents, as they move out all of the things that these protesters had inside of the encampment. And as they get closer to that group of protesters who are still very much defiant and who are standing in the middle, they are all holding arms, linking arms, and trying to stay in place, as you're seeing more and more of these officers bringing all of these tents out of the encampment.

So, again, it's been a very intense morning with a lot of police activity, and a lot of protesters who say they're not leaving, who say they still want to be here. Just moments ago, I was still seeing a Palestinian flag being waved in the air. But, take a look at this. They're taking out bicycles. They're taking out blankets. They're taking out all of the tents and sort of pushing them off to the side as officers make progress and move further and further in. You can clearly see that they have essentially taken over the encampment, the police officers have, as they continue to move further in. I'm trying to get closer to see the group of protesters who are still surrounded by officers. They're all trying to stay in a group, to stay together and stand firm.

But, it is essentially impossible with the amount of law enforcement officers that you are seeing right now. You hear them shouting and you do hear police officers telling them to move, to move. And clearly, they're not doing so and they're trying to stand there. But, there are not many left in terms of what I'm seeing right in front of me. It's a smaller group of protesters who are trying to hold their ground. But again, police officers continue to move in, guys.

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WHITFIELD: Kersten. All right. That's the point of view at UCLA campus. That's what's been taking place overnight. Police moved in around 3:30 a.m. Los Angeles time, and started taking down the encampment. You saw some of the officers there who were moving some of the encampment, or now debris, and then also some were being detained, arrested.

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We have on the line with us right now UCLA student Benjamin Kersten. Benjamin, if you're with me right now, tell me where are you? And what's been your experience through all this?

VOICE OF BENJAMIN KERSTEN, UCLA GRADUATE STUDENT: Hi. Thanks for having me. I'm on site. I'm just outside of the encampment. It's been quite an intense few hours on top of an intense night, intense day, intense week, as lots of law enforcement are closing in on the encampment. I'm standing by to make sure that my friends and those inside are safe and supportive as possible. But, it's quite an intense scene here, lots of flash, grenades going off and hearing about students being pushed to the ground, hit with rubber bullets, possibly. So, just -- yeah. Standing by.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. I mean, it definitely sounds like it's been a very intense experiences. The pictures that we're watching are very intense --

VOICE OF KERSTEN: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: -- as well. So, now tell me about your participation. You said it's been intense for a few weeks now. Have you been part of any of the demonstrations, or have you been a witness to them?

VOICE OF KERSTEN: No. So, I've joined at the encampment, which in many ways has been a really incredible experience. I enter into this organizing as a member leader of "Jewish Voice for Peace", which is the largest progressive, anti-Zionist Jewish organization in the world that organizes in solidarity with Palestinians, and we're a member organization of the UC Divest Coalition that's taken on the bulk of the organizing efforts of the encampment. And we've spent much time there. And as one hallmark of the encampments programming, we've offered Jewish ritual spaces, Seders, Shabbat, places for Jewish learning and community building. And I found that to be such a meaningful experience.

Of course, things go sort of day by day. But, in many cases, I really respect a lot of the courage of these students and their commitment to solidarity with Palestinians, who have been facing a genocide and forced starvation.

WHITFIELD: So, Benjamin, this was a really big decision to make. Right? And I'm wondering if you could tell me or take me through that process of why you decided to join the encampment in terms of what you're hoping the goal --

VOICE OF KERSTEN: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: -- would be. I mean, you enter the encampment. Describe for me, how many people you joined in the encampment, and what the messaging you were hoping was being conveyed? What kind of demands were you placing on the university, or is it broader than that?

VOICE OF KERSTEN: Absolutely. So, the encampment has a number of key demands, among them being calling for divestment from weapons manufacturing, which primarily happens through the asset manager, BlackRock, but also divestment from companies that are complicit in Israeli occupation and apartheid. Other demands include adhering to the guidelines of the academic boycott, taking position at aid position on the necessity of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine, and ending the repression of Palestinians and their advocates on campus.

I think that it is a big decision to join something like this. I'll say that the UC Divest Coalition and its efforts to lift up these demands have gone on for many months and even years, well before October. And I think now the feeling is that the stakes have never been greater. Again, as Gazans, those still living, have been displaced and are facing imminent starvation, and as every university campus in Gaza has been reduced to rubble. So, it's a big decision. But, I think that it also is one that is aimed to be in solidarity and stopping one of the worst atrocities we've certainly witnessed.

[08:20:00]

WHITFIELD: And then, Benjamin, what signal have you and your fellow demonstrators been looking for from the university, and how immediately have you been looking for some sort of signal, acknowledgement, statement, decision as a result of your participation in the encampment?

VOICE OF KERSTEN: Yeah. Thank you. I would say that the university has had several -- has had quite a bit of time to meaningfully engage with the issues that students are raising as important to them, and this could look a number of different ways. I think we need disclosure of grants and investments. I also think that we could, like another -- other meaningful steps would include binding policy with commitments to screens of investments for companies that are known to be complicit in Israeli violence against Palestinians, and also commitments to more just and democratic investment practices.

WHITFIELD: All right. Benjamin Kersten, appreciate you joining us, and you're UCLA graduate student there. And I wonder, before I let you go, are you at all concerned or worried that your status at the university is in any way been compromised, or jeopardized as a result of your participation here at the encampment?

VOICE OF KERSTEN: If I'm being completely honest, yes. That is in my head. And I guess what I would just come back to as the stakes, I'm one of a large number of students taking on risk, and yet, I think we feel that the risks we may shoulder are in service of a better world, and certainly nothing compared to what Palestinians have had to face.

WHITFIELD: And I said that would be my last question. But then, I do have a question. As a parent of a student who is in college, I'm wondering now, from the point of view of your parents, what do your parents think?

VOICE OF KERSTEN: Well, we've certainly had lengthy conversations about this. And I think and I hope that my parents can trust that I'm coming at this from a place of values and a respect for the complexity of these topics as a student, and that they -- if they may not agree, they respect this. There is integrity, and that I'm upholding the values of equality, justice and dignity for all. And just to that, I would say, one of the things I see in this encampment is kind of an incredible way that some students are taking their education into their own hands. There was a library established, I mean -- and these students are learning in real time what it means to envision together and critique together and build together.

WHITFIELD: Benjamin Kersten, thank you so much for being with us, and we really --

VOICE OF KERSTEN: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: -- appreciate hearing your point of view. Thank you. Stay with CNN for our breaking news coverage.

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[08:25:00]

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WHITFIELD: All right. Back to our breaking news. And it is just before dawn in Los Angeles and police have moved in to the protest encampment at UCLA. And we've been hearing what sounds like flashbangs. And the CNN team on the ground saw law enforcement firing what appeared to be rubber bullets. Many students were taken out of the barricaded encampment. Barricades being taken down. Arrests being made. You can hear right there, the flashbangs. This all started after protesters against the war in Gaza chanted just a few hours ago that they were going to defy orders to disperse.

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All right. That's the scene in Los Angeles at UCLA campus today. We've seen protests of this caliber dot the map across the United States at various colleges and campuses. And we've also seen them overseas at college institutions and universities as well.

Thomas Gift is joining us now. He is a political science professor at University College London. And I understand, professor, you had demonstrations taking place on your campus as well. Describe for me what you've seen from students who have led demonstrations, who are also in the spirit of anti-war protests, in some cases, very similar to what we're seeing unfold at some college and university campuses in the United States.

THOMAS GIFT, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UCL: Well, on my campus in London, there have been some isolated protests, students with signs and students making messages in support of Gaza, but nothing really on the scale or the magnitude that we have seen at UCLA, at Columbia, at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. These encampments, these semi-permanent structures that have been established, it's really something quite substantively different that we have seen across the United States, whereas that does not exist at least yet in the UK.

WHITFIELD: The makeup of the demonstrations may be very different. But, is the motivation the same? Is the goal the same? Are students, say in the UK, asking for a divestments?

GIFT: So, the goals are the same. I think that there is a little bit more of an emphasis on the conflict itself, rather than this question of divestment. Obviously, the demands of students are quite varied and diverse. And I think you would get a range of opinions if you ask them why they're spending time and energy and really putting some of their wherewithal on the line for this cause. But, I think it's largely about standing in support and solidarity with the people of Gaza, sort of the humanitarian concerns that they have.

WHITFIELD: And we're looking at live pictures right now, while you and I are talking, and we're seeing some people who have been detained or arrested. Their zip ties are used hold their hands behind the back. We just saw one person. And as police officers are detaining that person, we've seen in a couple of circumstances they'll take off their masks and they'll take off any kind of headgear, sometimes goggles. Many of the people that we've seen seem to proudly display who they are. We just saw in one case a person who looked like they were trying very hard not to be identified. There is great risk for some people who were involved in these protests. We just talked to one college student who said he is concerned about whatever consequences may come, whether it's suspension or even expulsion from school.

What are you hearing from the students on your campus about the risks they are willing to take, consequences that they feel that they might be facing because of their engagement in demonstrations, even though you said the caliber may be different from what we're seeing right here at UCLA's campus?

[08:30:00]

GIFT: Well, I think for all of these students, there are a few concerns, one is on the academic side, the extent to which they may be susceptible to academic suspension or expulsion. I think that there is also a concern among some about doxxing, which we did see at Harvard, and we also saw, to an extent, at Columbia, which is one reason why many students don't want to show their face. So, there are concerns. Obviously, some fairly prominent and high-profile business persons have said they don't want protesters being employed by their businesses.

So, I think some of these students who are maybe have internships lined up, for the summer jobs lined up going forward, the extent to which they're aligned with one side of this conflict, could raise questions for their future there.

WHITFIELD: So, tell me about on your campus or even throughout the UK, it is it encouraged? Do students have a real freedom of speech that is encouraged on any of these campuses, or are there imposed restrictions, or what is the dynamic?

GIFT: Well, ma'am, I think universities very much like in the United States and United Kingdom try to foster an atmosphere of free expression, and they do value a viewpoint diversity. So, I think that there is quite considerable leeway for students to express themselves in a way that is non-violent, in a way that is respectful, in a way that is civil. So, I think that that's certainly a good thing because that is central to the academic enterprise, and very fortunate to be at a university -- at University College London that does emphasize some of these principles. The notion of disagreeing well, for example, is something that our Provost and President has put a very high priority on.

I actually think that American colleges to a degree could learn something from the campuses in the UK where there hasn't necessarily been the same extent of some of these problems. I think some of these challenges that campuses are facing is that there just wasn't necessarily kind of clear guidelines and rules that have been in place. I don't think that universities in the United States have necessarily imposed some of these rules and regulations in a way that is necessarily kind of value or viewpoint neutral.

And I do think if there is anything that comes from these protests, it is going to lead administrators and college faculty to kind of rethink how they're going about creating an atmosphere that is conducive to free expression, but also sort of values discipline, and enforcing of the rules.

WHITFIELD: Conversely, do you believe images like this, which are being disseminated globally, might influence demonstrations that are taking place in campuses in the UK, which you already described are of a different caliber? But, do you believe seeing this might inspire demonstrators in the UK to take it up a notch or two?

GIFT: That's certainly plausible and in fact we did see that in the summer of 2020 with the Black Lives Matter protests, which is probably the clearest parallel to what we are experiencing right now, that originated in the United States, but ultimately transported to the UK and throughout the world. So, I would not be surprised, just given the amount of attention that has been placed on some of these protests that we ultimately see some of this translate across the Atlantic and to other countries as well.

WHITFIELD: Thomas Gift, professor at UCL, thank you so much for your time and perspective. Appreciate it.

GIFT: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come, much more on these dramatic scenes unfolding on the campus of UCLA. Stay with us.

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[08:35:00]

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WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Intense scenes from the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles as police continue to arrest protesters just before dawn. It's only 5:30 a.m. in Los Angeles right now. But, we've seen extraordinary images this hour, multiple people taken away with zip tie, handcuffs, pro-Palestinian demonstrators getting -- or the demonstrations, rather, getting smaller as police clear the encampment.

Let's bring in now Jonathan Wackrow. He is a CNN Law Enforcement Analyst, and he is joining us now from Middleton, New Jersey. Jonathan, good to see you. So, how do you assess what's happening here? We've seen a variety of methods taking place there at UCLA. We saw flashbangs. We saw police moving and dismantling encampment, taking down that plywood that some were able to successfully drill into place. We saw demonstrators putting flashlights to the faces of the police officers, as they were trying to dismantle the encampment. And now, we're seeing some -- perhaps a little bit more calmer pictures of people who -- hands behind their back, zip ties. Masks have been taken off. Goggles off their faces. How do you assess all that's being taking place here, and it started at like 3:30 a.m. Los Angeles Times?

JONATHAN WACKROW, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yeah. Well, listen, Fred, good morning, and for some, it's not a good morning, right, as these images show. This is a significant police operation that is actually involving multiple overlapping tactics with the aim of regaining control of this environment. Control has been lost. This moved from peaceful protest over time into civil unrest, and law enforcement had to -- has to react accordingly. This is a carefully coordinated policing action. What we're witnessing through these images, we're seeing officers wearing what we refer to as civil disturbance unit gear, that's helmets, protective gear specifically for the protection of these officers in advance of or knowing that they are going to be put into danger with violent protesters or demonstration -- or demonstrators.

So, what are they doing with these tactics? They have aerial surveillance. They are carefully coordinating how to separate these protest groups. They're basically using concentric rings of protection that are shrinking down and shrinking down to get to the core of the protesters very methodically. You're not seeing officers just rush in and drag people out.

[08:40:00]

You're seeing officers go in very carefully, taking custody of an individual, bringing them back, placing them under arrest, and moving them to another team. So, the tactics here are you have officers that would be referred to as the contact team and the arrest team. And again, this is not a rushed operation. It's very carefully coordinated.

Now, on the other side, the reason why law enforcement is doing this is look at the posture of the demonstrators. When this police action took started taking place a few hours ago, we witnessed demonstrators equipped with helmets, goggles, respirator masks, gloves, flashing strobe lights to distract law enforcement. All of that was a positioning that law enforcement took that they're not going to listen to lawful orders. So unfortunately, law enforcement has no other choice other than to go into this situation, based upon their training, tactics and experience on how to regain civil order and suppress the criminal element.

I will say that the California Highway Patrol, which is the lead entity that I'm witnessing here, along with LAPD and other mutual aid agencies, they are doing a really great job, because think about like the optic of the press. It's right there. Every action is being recorded. So, they are doing a really good job at regaining that control in a measured way.

WHITFIELD: And it's interesting you touched on that, because we've seen -- the viewpoints have been sporadic. I mean, our cameras have been there. Our affiliates are there. We've seen different things or been different levels of this operation. But, right now, this is very distinctive. This is taking out those who have been detained to this area almost as if to show this is how we're arresting these individuals. This is how we're taking off the masks, the head gear. I mean, it's -- I don't know. What do you call this when it's almost like an intentional display of who is being arrested and exposing their identity?

WACKROW: Well, listen, in the moments right now, law enforcement is not worried about exposing their identity or anything like that. Think about the operating environment right now. We're in a low light condition. As the police move through, there is a tremendous amount of obstacles and barriers that they have to overcome. Their main intent right now is regaining control of this situation. There is tangential motivation here to dox anybody. They're actually making an arrest. Why? Because there are crimes being committed. The intentional disregard for lawful orders, some of these students or individuals will be charged with trespassing, or criminal mischief. I mean, there are crimes that are taking place. The administration of the school, the state has made a decision that this can no longer happen. There is a public safety concern.

So, law enforcement must go in, and they're just going forth deploying their tactics that they would in any type of civil unrest situation. What we're seeing is with pulling people back is actually to -- is part of the arrest process. I don't think that there is any additional intent there.

WHITFIELD: OK. And I feel like I'm also reading between the lines of what you're saying to that. Everyone is treated the same, in your view, whether they are indeed a student who was part of this demonstration, or whether they were any number of the outsiders who came on campus and have participated in this, everyone being treated the same in terms of their arrest, detainment and it --

WACKROW: Yeah. Absolutely. Fred, that's a really, really good point. At the point -- the point to bifurcate students from other groups, we are beyond that. Right? The moment that law enforcement has to come in and take a policing action based upon identified criminal activity, they have to treat everybody the same. There was ample time for administrators of the school to try to provide an off ramp for these students to express their First Amendment rights. There was ample opportunity to de-escalate this entire situation.

Unfortunately, those tactics did not -- were not successful, and other groups, agitators you joined in and basically started breaking the law. When they violate your lawful orders by law enforcement, that is a criminal act. Police have to take everybody as one group and maintain control of that situation or regain control that situation.

WHITFIELD: All right. Security analyst Jonathan Wackrow, thank you so much. Appreciate your perspective.

WACKROW: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come, as these dramatic scenes play out on the campus of UCLA, we'll go live to the White House to see how the Biden administration will react to these protests and demonstrations.

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[08:45:00]

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WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Police are disbanding an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles. Officers have moved in, taking down tents and detaining dozens of demonstrators there. It's the latest police action against demonstrators at U.S. colleges, and yet, still no words from President Biden on the nationwide demonstrations by young people against the war in Gaza.

Arlette Saenz is at the White House. Arlette, there have been statements coming from members in his press office. But, we haven't heard directly from the President. Will that change today?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, President Biden has stayed relatively quiet when it relates to these campus protests across college campuses across the country. When it comes to the law enforcement actions to try to disrupt or quell some of these protests, the White House has really deflected questions about that, saying that it is up to law enforcement. It is up to university officials about how to handle these protests on their campuses.

But really, what this moments highlights is that President Biden is trying to strike a very delicate balance when it comes to responding to these protests. The last time that we heard him discuss these protests was actually on April 22, when he decried antisemitism and also said that some people don't understand the concerns of the Palestinian people. For the most part, we have just seen written statements and comments from spokespeople relating to these protests. And what they've been trying to make clear is that they believe these protesters have the right to peacefully protest, but they have criticized lawlessness, speaking out, for instance, after students had barricaded themselves inside a campus building on Columbia University's grounds a bit earlier in the week, and they've also tried to use this moment to speak out against antisemitism.

Take a listen to how the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean- Pierre phrased some of this yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, PRESS SECRETARY, WHITE HOUSE: Americans have the right to peacefully protest. They have the right to peacefully protest as long as it's within the law and that it's peaceful. Forcibly taking over a building is not peaceful. It is important that students and communities feel safe here. And at the same time, we are going to be really forceful here and continue to underscore how antisemitism is hateful speech.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:50:00]

SAENZ: And it all comes as President Biden is facing significant pressure on a number of fronts. That includes criticism from Republicans, including his GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump, who have tried to point to these scenes on college campuses as signs of disorder. Trump specifically has said that President Biden needs to do more to respond. And the President is also facing pressure within his own Democratic coalition. If you take a -- look at recent polling, the majority of Americans do not approve of President Biden's handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. That divide is even starker. When you take a -- look at young people with 81 percent disapproving of his approach, and Democrats, 53 percent disapprove of the way that the President has handled this conflict.

So, these are all converging interests that the President is dealing with at this moment, as they have seen these moments of unrest at these college campuses unfold over the course of the past few weeks. A big question going forward is, if President Biden might decide to respond and address this himself in the coming days. He is set to leave the White House a little bit later this morning, where he -- and will travel down to North Carolina for a few events. That could present an opportunity for him to face -- to answer some questions from reporters. So far, he has declined to do that. But, he is facing pressure from within some in his own party and from Republicans, trying to -- who believe that the President needs to respond and address this a bit more forcefully.

WHITFIELD: All right. Arlette Saenz at the White House, keep us posted. Thanks so much.

Well, much more on the protests rocking U.S. campuses, next.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Live pictures right now. It is just before 6 a.m. Los Angeles. Dawn is breaking. You see that line of people. Those are all demonstrators who have zip ties on their wrists behind their bodies and they're waiting to be put on buses because they have all been arrested. Police have removed many protesters who were in those encampments there on the UCLA campus. They've taken down some of the encampment. We've seen a lot of people led away, as you see right there, by police. The university had warned students to disperse, calling the encampment unlawful -- unlawful, rather, before authorities moved in.

Let's bring back Jonathan Wackrow. He is a CNN Law Enforcement Analyst, and he is joining us now from Middletown, New Jersey.

[08:55:00]

So, Jonathan, a lot of the demonstrators, when the police arrived, they said we won't go, and this is the consequence of that. They are being forced to leave with hands behind their backs. How would you grade this operation?

WACKROW: Listen, I'd grade this operation is a success. Why? Because the police have applied what they refer to as proportionality to the situation. They have tailored their response and actions to the mood and the tenor of these protests, knowing in advance that they were going to encounter essentially individuals that had a propensity for violence against law enforcement officers. They were going to resist arrest. You saw increased tactics. As law enforcement has now successfully regained control of the environment, you are going to see a reduced posture, and now policing, shifting from the overt tactics of a civil disturbance into an operation really to stabilize that environment, and bring order back and ensure that there is no additional criminal activity.

So, in a short time, I think law enforcement has done a really great job at regaining control of this environment. The next phase is to maintain that control moving forward.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jonathan Wackrow, thank you so much.

That's going to do it for us --

WACKROW: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: -- in our breaking news coverage this hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. CNN's special coverage of Donald Trump's hush money trial begins next hour. Stay with us.

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