Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly try to bring back UCLA encampment

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Pro-Palestinian protesters again attempted to establish an encampment on the UCLA campus Monday, prompting a rapid police response and declaration of an unlawful assembly before the group dismantled their tents and walked out of the area.

Protesters initially gathered on the campus for a funeral-procession- like march in honor of the "over 46,000 Palestinians who have been martyred or buried under the rubble" in the Israel-Hamas war. 

After that procession, which included people carrying fake bloody bodies and body parts, the group began amassing in the Dickson Plaza area, the site of an earlier massive encampment that stayed in place for more than a week before it was dismantled by police in an operation that resulted in more than 200 arrests.

Protesters on Monday again began erecting tents in the plaza, and at one point stood in formation at the top of the Janss Steps that lead into the plaza to prevent people from entering. Some makeshift barricades were also assembled, and protesters also dyed the water in a plaza fountain red.

University police and campus security officers were quick to respond to the area and used bicycles in an effort to prevent more protesters from entering the area. A UCPD officer told the Daily Bruin campus newspaper that the gathering had already been declared an unlawful assembly by shortly after 4 p.m. The Los Angeles Police Department briefly declared a citywide tactical alert, enable the agency to keep officers on duty beyond their normal shifts.

Shortly before 6 p.m., university police gave protesters 10 minutes to disperse, telling them they would face arrest if they did not leave the area. The protesters quickly complied. The group dismantled their tents and removed other materials from the plaza, and walked down the Janss Steps and headed out of the area.

As of 10 p.m., officials have not given a rough estimate of the number of arrests from the protests. No injuries have been reported by officials late Monday night.