The first arrest has been made in connection to the attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles. An 18-year-old individual who is not a student or affiliated with the school was detained by UCLA police and jailed on $30,000 bail. The suspect, identified as Edan On, was seen in videos wearing a white mask and hoodie, assaulting a pro-Palestinian demonstrator with a wooden pole during the incident on April 30. The attack involved counterprotesters throwing traffic cones, releasing pepper spray, and throwing live mice into the encampment, resulting in at least 15 injuries.
UCLA officials described the attack as involving a group of instigators and confirmed that one individual was seen on video assaulting encampment occupants with a wooden pole, causing serious injuries to at least one victim. The suspect was booked for felony assault with a deadly weapon at the UCLA Police Department. On’s mother posted on Facebook in Hebrew, stating that her son went to bully the Palestinian students and included an image of him in the white hoodie that was broadcast on local news. While initially confirming that the man in the video was her son, she later stated that he denies being at UCLA, and both On and his mother could not be reached for comment.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block expressed remorse over the school’s handling of the attack, acknowledging that it took several hours for law enforcement to intervene. He stated that they should have been prepared to immediately remove the encampment if the safety of the community was at risk. Following the incident, hundreds of police officers dismantled the encampment and the UCLA police chief was reassigned pending an examination of security processes. Protesters attempted to establish a new encampment but dispersed when ordered to, with a group staging a sit-in inside a building before being cleared out by officers.
The arrest of Edan On followed an investigation that included interviews with victims and witnesses, as well as reviews of security camera images and publicly available videos. University police are investigating all reported acts of violence associated with protest or counterprotest activities since April 25. The incident at UCLA has drawn criticism from Muslim students and political leaders, highlighting tensions surrounding the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. It remains to be seen how the university will address security measures and respond to future protests on campus.
