There’s
a feeling of calm before the storm here at UCLA campus. Protesters have quietened
down, with bursts of pro-Palestinian chants getting more and more infrequent.
Hundreds of people have barricaded themselves inside the encampment. Police have
ordered them to leave or face arrest.
There’s been a heavy police presence for hours now, with
some rows facing toward the encampments and others facing toward the streets.
Helicopters have been buzzing above. In the streets around the police,
protesters hold up flags and signs protesting the war.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and local hospitals have been put on alert.
It’s not clear yet whether police will start arrests to clear out the
encampment tonight – but it’s eerily quiet on the quad as we wait to see what
happens next.