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Law enforcement is dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment Thursday morning that has been set up in Dickson Plaza on the University of California, Los Angeles campus for about a week now.
The encampment was declared an unlawful assembly after several violent skirmishes broke out over the past few days between pro-Palestine demonstrators and pro-Israeli counterprotesters.
Dispersal orders were given to those in the encampment around 6 p.m. Wednesday but most refused to leave.
Officers from multiple agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol, were sent in to dismantle the encampment but were outnumbered and decided to call for reinforcements and wait until the morning hours to move in.
Several flash-bang noises could be heard as officers began tearing down the structure’s metal and wood barriers around 3 a.m. although it was unclear which side they were coming from.
Video showed several demonstrators being detained and walked out of the encampment.
Once the barricade was removed there was a standoff between more than 300 officers and defiant protesters who remained locked in arms and at the encampment.
Law enforcement could be heard warning the protesters to leave the area.
Around 4:30 a.m. dozens of officers swarmed through the middle of the encampment prompting a few of the protesters to flee.
Thursday’s events come after a week of inaction by UCLA administration that allowed the encampment to be set up on campus in violation of school policies.
A counter-protest was eventually set up by pro-Israeli supporters and several skirmishes between the two groups resulted over the next few days.
The most violent confrontation occurred Tuesday night when about 100 people wearing masks and dark clothing tried to breach the encampment.
Images showed several bloodied participants on both sides, leading to outrage from city officials and parents of students at the school.
The disruption caused classes to be canceled at the school on Wednesday.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
Police are searching for a group of suspects wanted for organized retail theft at an Orange County shopping mall.
The four suspects allegedly targeted a Champs Sports store at the Irvine Spectrum, according to the Irvine Police Department.
They allegedly stole Nike products from the retailer before fleeing the shopping center in two vehicles — a gray Mitsubishi Outlander SUV and a black Volkswagen Passat sedan.
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A suspect wanted for a theft targeting an athletic clothing store at the Irvine Spectrum mall. (Irvine Police Department) -
A suspect wanted for a theft targeting an athletic clothing store at the Irvine Spectrum mall. (Irvine Police Department) -
A suspect wanted for a theft targeting an athletic clothing store at the Irvine Spectrum mall. (Irvine Police Department) -
The suspects’ getaway vehicles — a gray Mitsubishi Outlander SUV and a black Volkswagen Passat sedan. (Irvine Police Department) -
Four suspects wanted for a theft targeting an athletic clothing store at the Irvine Spectrum mall. (Irvine Police Department)
Surveillance cameras captured the suspects’ images — believed to be two men and two women.
No further details were released on the theft as the group remains at large.
Anyone who recognizes the suspects or has additional information on the case is asked to email njohnson@cityofirvine.org.
Brightline West has chosen the company to build and deliver new high-speed trainsets to be deployed on its bullet train system between Southern California and Las Vegas.
The trains will be built by Siemens Mobility, a German manufacturing company that has been building trains in Northern California since the 1980s and has a U.S. headquarters in Sacramento.
Siemens has already partnered with Brightline in the past, having built the diesel-electric trains used for the company’s East Coast operation that connects Miami to Orlando, Florida.
Brightline will be acquiring ten “American Pioneer 220” trains that it says will be delivered to Nevada in time for the service to begin operating in 2028. The AP220 is a zero-emission, fully electric train that is capable of reaching speeds of 220 mph, although those speeds won’t be reached when service begins.
The trains are expected to be set up in a 7-car configuration with a capacity of more than 430 passengers, depending on final design, Brightline says.
As part of the agreement, Siemens will also provide regular maintenance and large-scale repairs on the trains for at least 30 years, which will be conducted at a maintenance facility in Sloan, Nevada.
Both companies said the agreement represents more than just a simple exchange for goods and services. Siemens says the AP220 will introduce state-of-the-art passenger rail technology that, alongside the American supply chain, will create a new industry that rivals other nation’s with a decadeslong head start on high-speed rail.
As part of those ambitious American expansion plans, Siemens will also be building an entirely new manufacturing facility dedicated to producing the AP220 in a location that will be announced once contract details have been finalized.
“Just as we redefined train travel with our trainsets for Brightline Florida, we are excited to pioneer this new frontier of manufacturing and development for Brightline West,” said Brightline CEO Michael Reininger. “The momentum we are building, will culminate in new jobs and a new supply chain that will establish the foundation for a high-speed rail industry from coast to coast.”
Siemens has also built trains for Amtrak and is one of two companies, alongside Alstom Transportation, competing to win a bid by the State of California to manufacture the trainsets to be used in the California High-Speed Rail system.
Brightline said “interoperability” with the California High-Speed Rail was one of the factors considered when choosing a train manufacturer. Other factors included price, amenities, capacity and train performance.
Construction on the $12 billion high-speed passenger rail line began in April and the company has predicted service to begin in 2028. In the meantime, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the project will bring thousands of union jobs to the region, reduce air pollution and kickstart a new American industry.
When completed, the a 218-mile rail line connecting the Inland Empire and Las Vegas, cutting an over-4-hour drive time into a 2-hour train ride. About 80% of the system will reside in California, following along Interstate 15 between Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga. Brightline will also be building a new transit center in Rancho Cucamonga which will offer riders the ability to transfer onto Metrolink.
Although a mostly private endeavor, the federal government has still provided significant capital to help get the Brightline system off the ground.
The Biden Administration has backed the project with $6.5 billion in funding, including a $3 billion grant awarded last December, as well as giving the approval to sell about $3.5 billion in bonds. Brightline previously agreed to finance $10 billion for the project.
The federal government, Brightline and Siemens hold the same belief that high-speed rail is a revolutionary technology waiting to be unleashed in the United States.
Marc Buncher, CEO of Siemens Mobility North America, said the partnership between his company and Brightline will help usher in a new future for passenger rail service in the U.S.
“We are excited to be selected to build and maintain America’s first true high-speed trains, which will feature some of the world’s most innovative high-speed rail technology,” Buncher said. “When they enter service, it will be one of the most pivotal moments in the history of American rail.”
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