UCLA protests: LAPD arrives in riot gear 2 hours after violence erupts at pro-Palestinian encampment

LOS ANGELES - A large police presence remained on the UCLA campus on Wednesday morning after chaos erupted overnight at the pro-Palestinian encampment. However, it's their response time that has come into question. 

FOX 11 closely documented an estimated two hours of chaos as fights broke out and firecrackers were being tossed in the direction of sleeping protesters' tents in Westwood. During the initial hours of unrest, law enforcement did not step in to intervene. 

Violence erupted between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, and it wasn't until closer to 2 p.m. that officers with the Los Angeles Police Department arrived in riot gear. The LAPD confirmed on social media that they arrived at the scene following the request of UCLA officials. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the campus unrest, took to social media 12 minutes before the LAPD's tweet to confirm the LAPD had made their way to Westwood.

"The violence unfolding this evening at UCLA is absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable," Bass wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "LAPD has arrived on campus."

With LAPD nowhere in sight in the pit of violence, members of a private security firm were seen standing still as fights were breaking out and fireworks were exploding just a short distance away from them.

So, where was the police presence during that two-hour window?

FOX 11's Elex Michaelson and Marla Tellez spoke with retired police officer and former LA City Councilmember Dennis Zine to get an insight on the lack of police presence. Zine explained the LAPD may have been in the process of assembling officers across the department's 20+ patrol divisions.

"[LAPD] is going to follow directions of the UCLA police. They're the primary agency involved," Zine explained. "The LAPD will follow their command. They're the primary responsibility. LAPD will back them up."

Zine adds while some members of the public may have been frustrated by the lack of police presence at the time of the interview, the former police officer explained that it isn't LAPD's responsibility to respond before UCLA's campus police.

"LAPD is not the primary responsibility to respond. It's UCLA. They give the call, then LAPD units that are on patrol handling calls or radio calls, 911 calls, the other calls, booking prisoners, etc. Then, they have folks at a location close to the campus, and then they're going to make sure that they're deployed, and then they will assemble a game plan to then go in. Are they going to make arrests? Do they have to bring jail buses? That will all be determined before they enter the campus," Zine explained.

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FOX 11's crew at the scene reported multiple times over the course of the 11 p.m. Good Night LA newscast that the violence likely came from agitators with no primary intention of promoting pro-Israel or pro-Palestine views.

UCLA's Strategic Communications office issued the following statement in the wake of the campus riots:

"Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support. The fire department and medical personnel are on the scene. We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end."

Below is a statement released by California Governor Gavin Newsom's office:

In a statement released on social media, Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky – whose district covers the Westwood area – declared UCLA's campus as "no longer safe."

"Everyone has a right to free speech and protest, but the situation on UCLA’s campus is out of control and is no longer safe. I’m grateful to LAPD and Mayor Bass for stepping in to ensure the safety of everyone on campus," Yaroslavsky wrote on X.