Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Police Pull Aside Barricades, Move into UCLA Protest Camp; Flash Bangs Going Off as Police Move into UCLA Encampment. Aired 7- 7:30a ET

Aired May 02, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Presumptive Republican Nominee Donald Trump spoke about it on the campaign trail in key swing states yesterday.

[07:00:06]

Again you have been watching police move in to UCLA to arrest people in an encampment that was told that they needed to disband and that many have not disbanded. We have been live with our Nick Watt who's been on scene all night. We're very grateful to him for being there for us as we watch something quite significant to both these students and to our politics on full.

Thanks very much to our panel for joining us. Thanks to all of you for being here. I'm Kasie Hunt.

CNN News Central starts right now.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with breaking news this morning. Just a short time ago, the LAPD and other agencies have gone into the encampment and started arresting people on the campus of UCLA.

The pro-Palestinian encampment is now swarming with police officers. We are looking at live pictures at this very moment. It began with police telling people to disperse. And then we've been hearing the sounds of flash bangs. There has been smoke. There have been some fireworks that have gone off. But as we're speaking, arrests being made on that campus at this hour.

This all, of course, started after pro-Palestinian protesters made very clear after hearing the orders to disperse that they were going to defy those orders. Listen.

All right, so you heard that there, we're not leaving, and now police are making many of them leave.

Again, live pictures, UCLA campus, police have stormed into the encampment that has been there for now a week. We do have reporters on the ground, and we have a professor who is inside that encampment who we will be talking to in just a bit.

I want to start though with our Camila Bernal. She is there on the UCLA campus. Give us some sense of how all this went down and what is happening right now as we speak, Camila. CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Hey, Sara. We are seeing students or protesters, unclear exactly who they are, but being taken away by police officers. You see them coming out in groups. And little by little, we have seen police officers and law enforcement officers getting rid and moving that barrier that had been established by these protesters.

They had used not just the metal barriers, but also plywood that they had reinforced throughout the day to keep people out of the encampment. That is coming down little by little. So, you're seeing a lot of those tents coming down. You're seeing things being thrown in the air. There is consistent flash bangs going off on and, again, more and more people being taken out in zip ties. And you're seeing officers bringing in extra zip ties, bringing in extra flash bangs.

It is a chaotic and very tense scene right now, but you are still seeing some of those Palestinian flags being waved in the air, some of those flashlights that the protesters were using to put on the faces of these law enforcement officers.

You know, we are hearing people chanting. We're also hearing law enforcement telling people to move. There's a lot of smoke in the air. It is unclear and hard to see exactly what is happening because there is so much chaos, but, of course, a lot of passion from a lot of protesters who decided to stay here and decided to risk and arrest.

You know, I spoke to someone who told me that they wanted to leave because they did not want to go through this, a PhD student that I've been talking through throughout the days. But the people that are here decided that they were okay with being arrested because that is exactly what authorities are doing right now.

And, again, they're moving into that encampment that has been up for about a week here at UCLA. And this is not the scene that the university wanted to see. But they have been told, or at least the protesters have been told to disperse to go home, and they have chosen not to do so. And that's why you're seeing the scenes that you're seeing right now, Sara.

SIDNER (voice over): Camila, thank you for that. And I just want to reiterate, we're seeing somebody who is being arrested right now. It looks like, you know, that they have put him on the ground. We have seen people being walked out with the zip ties around their hands as well.

And you can see the encampment, some of it being pulled down some of those plywood boards that have been up surrounding the encampment have been pulled down now by police as they go, it appears, methodically through.

[07:05:03]

The police look very calm, though. At this hour, it doesn't look like there's any scuffles, we should mention. But we did see quite a different scene last night, which sort of brought police on to the campus, police from several different agencies. I want to get now to our Nick Watt, who has been there overnight watching all of this happen. Nick, can you give us some sense of when this started and what it's looked like to you just from your vantage point? Just set the scene for us.

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Well, Sara, just before dark this evening, the rumor went around that this was going to happen sometime during the night. So, at that point, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at either end of the encampment. They were kept well back by law enforcement, but they gathered, they were chanting in solidarity.

And all during the day, Sara, we have been seeing the protesters inside the encampment fortifying that barricade. We've heard the power drills. And then just in the past hour or so, we have finally seen, as the crowd outside thinned out, and this was one of the theories that perhaps they were waiting to go into the encampment until the crowd surrounding thinned out just to make this process a little easier.

But, listen, we have seen a very light touch from security personnel and law enforcement over the past week here at UCLA. That changed radically after what happened last night, which was counter- protesters, pro-Israel protesters attacking this encampment. There weren't many of them, but there was chemical sprayed, there was a firework, there was physical altercations.

Governor Gavin Newsom, after that, clearly wanted a much more robust response, and that's what we saw today. Dozens and dozens of CHP, California Highway Patrol, and LAPD officers on this campus clearly building up to what we are seeing now. Flash bangs in the air, we can see the tents being rocked, but we can still see and hear defiance, Sara, from coming inside.

We hear the people divided, we hear, free Palestine, we see the Palestinian flag. There is still some defiance from inside this encampment. Back to you, Sara.

SIDNER (voice over): Be safe out there, Nick. I can hear those flash bangs going off. We also see another arrest happening. It is interesting that you point out because we can see it also from the vantage point of sort of watching what's happening in front of your camera, that while you're hearing those flash bangs of you, we're getting is a very calm scenario where people are being let out in those zip ties and being arrested, taken out of that encampment. But, clearly, police are going deeper into the encampment and using some of those flash bangs as they try and get to some of the protesters that they are trying to remove that have been there for about a week.

Your reporting has been incredible, Nick. I know you've been out there for a long time over these days, watching all of this happen.

We are now looking at Camila Bernal, who is getting closer and closer to the encampment herself. And, again, seeing people being arrested one after the other, there doesn't seem to be any skirmishes. But, again, those flash bangs indicate that there is more police activity going on inside what appears to be an encampment that is slowly being dismantled by police. You're seeing some of the debris and some of those plywood boards that were pulled down.

Like you mentioned, Nick, this scene was very, very different overnight, the night before, where you did see clashes not between police and protesters, but between two different groups of protesters, where the pro-Israeli protesters attacked those inside of the camp with, you know, bars and all sorts of different things.

Camila, I know you've gotten very close now to the encampment. Can you tell us what you're seeing right now from your vantage point?

BERNAL (voice over): Yes. So, what I'm seeing is a line of protesters trying to hold hands and stand right in front of all these police officers. And you're seeing these law enforcement officers ripping out the tents and the wood and everything that was inside of that encampment and trying to get it out of that area.

And we have seen resistance from the pro-Palestinian protesters who were trying to hold onto those tents. But as we've seen now, it is law enforcement to essentially won that battle and got all of those tents out of that area.

I believe there are more tents behind that line of protesters. Obviously, I can't see right now. But what I am seeing is that line of protesters who are refusing to move and who are being pushed out by police officers. We are still hearing those flash bangs.

[07:10:01]

We're still seeing a lot of those flashlights from the protesters who are trying to flash them in the faces of these police officers, but, again, defiance. There are these protesters who are standing in a line in front of the police officers who are trying to move into this encampment.

Again, really tense moments here and very passionate protesters who are getting pushed back a bit by the police officers, but who are standing firm and trying to keep that line that again has not always been successful because of the amount of law enforcement officers that we're seeing right now in riot gear trying to move into that encampment. Sara?

SIDNER: Camila, can you give me some sense? I'm looking at the sky and seeing sort of what looked like potentially firecrackers. There is a difference between those, of course, in flash bangs that the police use. Can you give us some sense? Are you seeing that as well? It looks like there are puffs of smoke in the sky and also where those flash bangs are being deployed because we are not seeing -- we can hear them, but we're not seeing exactly where they are being deployed and what is happening in that area. Do you have a vantage point?

BERNAL: Yes. You do see it in the air. You do see the -- you hear the flash bangs. It's unclear exactly where they're coming from. I believe it's sort of on the sides of the protesters towards where the crowd is, but obviously not hitting or targeting anyone here.

And, again, we did see, uh, law enforcement officers bringing in explosives. It's unclear how they're being used or what exactly they're doing. But you do see them as they are thrown up into the air.

And, you know, they've been using it not just here at the encampment, but also to clear out protesters who were coming to support the people who were at the encampment. A lot of those people were cleared off or at least moved away from campus because this morning there were large crowds, not just in the encampments, but nearby on campus. And those people were cleared out.

We do know that there were buses essentially waiting for people who were detained. And I did see not just, you know, uh, police in riot gear, but there were also a lot of fire trucks, just an immense amount of first responders and law enforcement officers ready to come in here.

We're also seeing smoke and it's unclear exactly where the smoke is coming from, whether it's coming from law enforcement officers or whether it's coming from some of the protesters. But, again, it's the flashes. It is the smoke. It is tense situations here at UCLA, Sara.

SIDNER (voice over): Camila, thank you so much for watching this for us. And as we watch it together and see how this unfolds, this is obviously a very different scene from where I am in Columbia, where things are completely calm after police went into a building and took out dozens of protesters, pro-Palestinian protesters who had been part of an encampment here.

We're looking now at a shot from the sky at all of the tents still there, still intact. But you're seeing some of that smoke. You're seeing some of the protesters way on the outside of the encampment, and then those who are in the midst of the encampment with that police line going across it as they try to tear down some of the barriers there.

We've got a freelance journalist who was in the midst there. Ben Camacho, can you hear me? And if you can, can you give us some sense of what you saw as this all unfolded a very, very different scene and what we have seen over the past week where there has really not been a police presence? It has been protesters versus counter-protesters. But now police have moved in. Ben, what can you tell me?

BEN CAMACHO, FREELANCE JOURNALIST (voice over): Yes, so I was there earlier today. I got there around 5:00 P.M. And mainly a lot of protesters were outside on the encampment, you know, chanting, singing songs and giving speeches.

But as the night progressed, you know, there were more police that did arrive to the outer perimeters of the encampment and to other buildings. And I think around 1:30 in the morning, our time over here in L.A., Los Angeles Police Department did break through the barricade for probably -- they broke through very quickly. But then maybe about a couple dozen police officers in full riot gear did make it to the edge of the encampment where, at that time, several hundred protesters did surround them and the protesters did have shields. They did have helmets and they were ready to defend their encampment.

There was probably about a 30-minute standoff there when protesters did manage to push LAPD out of their encampment and force them to retreat.

[07:15:00]

That was probably around 1:45 this morning. And, obviously, now, you know, the encampment is getting overrun by other police agencies.

SIDNER (voice over): Ben, it's interesting that you say that because we watched this unfold a bit. You're saying that around 1:45 or 2:00 in the morning that police did try to go into the encampment, but protesters were able to push them back, and we did see them retreating a bit. Now, they are right back up onto the encampment and we're seeing police officers sort of going in and taking a few people out.

Can you give us a sense of just how large of an area this is that the encampment has taken over? It's a little bit difficult just to sort of make that out on UCLA's campus. Can you give us some sense of just how large of an area it is? And we're also seeing people who are not in the encampment, who are sort of on the outsides of the encampment. Are those protesters as well? What were you seeing earlier?

CAMACHO (voice over): Yes, so I would say the encampment is roughly the size -- is a little bit smaller than a football field, and the protesters outside -- every protester that I saw today, minus maybe five or so counter-protesters, were standing in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

SIDNER (voice over): Okay, so that's the bulk and majority of people that are there. We know that last night or sort of the night before last, you had this battle really with the pro-Israeli protesters attacking the pro-Palestinian protesters inside of the encampment. The university, are they looking into this? Is there an investigation going on, because we did see at least one person being severely beaten and kicked? We saw people using pipes to hit some of the protesters.

What do you know about what's happening when it comes to the attack that happened and the sort of subsequent fight that ultimately brought police to where we are right now onto campus trying to clear this encampment?

CAMACHO (voice over): Yes. So, just to be clear, I was not there last night. I was just watching online. A couple of my colleagues were there filming what was happening. I just know that the encampment was attacked by counter-protesters. There was blood that was shed due to this attack. I'm not sure if there is an investigation into what's going on, but that that did prompt this police response today.

I believe there was a statement late -- a couple of hours after the counter-protesters two nights ago now attacked. I believe UCLA put out a statement saying they were going to figure something out with this situation. I don't remember exactly what it said but I think that kind of set off the chain of events that were now seen unfold.

SIDNER: Ben, thank you so much for giving us a big picture of what is going on right now on UCLA campus. And just to recap, I want to thank Ben. I want to thank Camila Bernal and our Nick Watt, who have been on the ground watching this unfold for hours now. Again, you are seeing live pictures of what is happening on the UCLA campus, police and protesters face-to-face as police try and remove pro-Palestinian protesters who have had an encampment up on that campus for the past week.

We will bring you much more about what's going on there. If there are any clashes going on there, we know there have been arrests.

We will be right back with the breaking news for you this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

SIDNER: We continue with our breaking news. I'm Sarah Sidner here on the Columbia campus watching what is happening here, where the protests have been completely dismantled and police are now replacing protesters on campus.

Let us go though to UCLA, where you're seeing some pictures from a bird's eye view looking down on the encampment that is currently as we speak being raided by police, police trying to go in. We have seen arrests already this morning. We have seen many protesters with zip ties around their arms being taken out of that protest. We've been hearing flash bangs this morning as the police try to disperse this particular encampment that has been there for about a week now.

And so what we're watching is police standing eye-to-eye with protesters and trying to push further and further into an encampment that we learned is about the size just smaller than a football field. You see many, many tents that are still up. You also see some of the boards that they had put up that surrounded the encampment. Those have been taken down by police as well.

Let us get to our Camila Bernal. She is on the ground there. She has been watching this unfold. Camila, what can you tell us at this hour? How has the scene changed at all or is it becoming more intense?

BERNAL: Hey, Sara. What we're seeing right now is defiance. This is as close as we can get to these protesters and these police officers. And what you're seeing here is a line of protesters with their arms linked.

And right now we're not seeing police officers moving in, but we are getting closer to where they're shooting off these flash bangs.

[07:25:05]

And so what you're seeing is protesters who are standing firm. They have megaphones and are screaming things like divestments. They continue to shout, free Palestine. They continue to say that they will remain here. And you're seeing that defiance as they're standing face- to-face with a line of California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear.

Again, you're hearing the flash bangs, you're seeing the smoke, and you're seeing a lot of law enforcement officers off to the side. There are more people wanting to get into this area, but there is also a line of police officers blocking them from coming in here.

I am seeing across the other side of the encampment, those barriers, the plywood that these protesters had put up is still up on the other side of the encampment. On this side, closer to where I am, the police officers took down all of that plywood, took down a lot of the tents that were in this area.

So, we are still seeing tents behind that line of protesters, but many of those tents were taken down by these police officers. You hear the flash bangs, and, again, you are still hearing protesters on a loudspeaker just sharing their demands and screaming what they want and why they're still here.

Again, it's just a very tense situation. It has developed over the last hour or two, but a lot of people are also getting detained. We are seeing people being taken out of this area at times with those zip ties. Almost every single officer here has zip ties on them.

And it's unclear why they're not necessarily arresting everybody at the moment or why they're not moving in faster. But right now, you are seeing sort of that standoff as a line of protesters faces the law enforcement officers who have not moved in yet or at least not moved in further yet but who are also standing firm and will likely move in sometime soon, Sara.

SIDNER (voice over): All right. Camila Bernal, I know you're keeping your eyes on the situation there, and we'll come back to you as things develop.

I want to toss it back to Kate and John. Kate and John, you know, watching this is an interesting tactic that we're seeing because the police are walking around very calmly, as you can see there, and not pushing in with a lot of force.

Obviously, they are determining what it is the best way to deal with this. But you are hearing those flash bangs a very different scene here on the Columbia University campus when police went into Hamilton Hall on all different sides, like a SWAT team swarming the area and pushing through and getting protesters out within a couple of hours. Kate and John?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Yes, different approach for it we're seeing on different campuses. But, for sure, right now at UCLA, this is still unfolding.

We're going to continue to watch these live pictures as we also bring in CNN Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem, who has been watching this along with us.

What do you see in these live images that we've been watching throughout this morning as the police, they've been on campus in tactical gear since last night, but then this morning, they started moving into disassemble this encampment. JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST (voice over): Well, I want to know sort of what's their mission. I mean, we have no idea what they've been told. You don't send that many police out unless they have a mission. If it's crowd control, then they seem heavily protected for that. And we're hearing these flashbangs. And what is UCLA and law enforcement's plan and policies? And if it's the -- and what have the students been told is their plan and policies?

I am getting -- honestly, I'm getting more and more frustrated as the weeks go on because it is worth remembering these were peaceful protests until thugs came in last night claiming -- we don't know who they were -- claiming to represent pro-Israel interests and essentially attacked a peaceful protest. And it took several hours to stop that, that failure of basic security precautions for a peaceful protest, which has now led to this.

And so that is worth remembering because the failure to disclose what the plan is to the students is essential here because you want to de- escalate.

[07:30:00]

These are human beings. They are students. They are peaceful protesters. And I hate to see this kind of escalation without.