The defense of the encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles has been viewed as wildly successful among far-left groups, but there is some controversy because at one point Los Angeles police officers were able to breach the perimeter before the California Highway Patrol officially cleared the area.
The debate of how that happened spilled over to social media this past week, with some accusing the leadership of UAW 4811, who were accused of acting as security for the rear of the camp only to run away when LAPD officers showed up.
A far-left account shared screenshots of a WhatsApp chat where someone claims UAW 4811 “also let the cops thru the barricades on the steps to begin with…practically rolled out the red carpet for the cops to come in.”
“Was outside, can confirm, [they] were also telling people to get off the steps and not defend the encampment,” another person chimed in.
“To dispel the myths: yes, UAW marshals cleared a path in the stairs to keep an exit for those inside the encampment…”
The group chat was also angry at the union for allegedly telling people to leave the camp at a time most far-left groups were asking for more people to defend the area.
“These spineless cowards sold out their own members to the f***ing cops! We’ve been saying that they’re cops ever since they bowed down to the UC during the strike but never would I have imagined that they would make it so easy for the police to arrest their own members. Wow,” the far-left account went on to say. “To be clear, everyone has the right to determine for themselves the level of risk they’re willing to take on at a protest. However, UAW did not adequately notify its members of the risks they were taking on and failed to provide any proper security training to those there. Shame.”
Anny Viloria Winnett, the unit chair for UAW 4811 at UCLA, responded to the accusations, calling them “laughable.”
“The online debate, started by someone who was not present that night, is a point of the night when LAPD entered the camp through the Tongva entrance. The post implies LAPD entered through a path that was cleared by UAW marshals, and insinuates our complicity in police action,” Winnett posted on X.
“To dispel the myths: yes, UAW marshals cleared a path in the stairs to keep an exit for those inside the encampment in case the police kettled them..Imma say it again: the cops entered through a side path, that had been cleared the entire night, even before the rally started, where there was a second barrier between the encampment entrance and where the crowd had been standing all night,” she continued.
As I reported from that night, while LAPD officers were able to get inside the encampment, they were not equipped to clear out the protesters since that was supposed to be the job of CHP. After a tense standoff, the officers eventually withdrew from the area, with fights breaking out as they tried to leave.
Whatever the case was, protesters at UCLA have vowed they will seize more campus property and occupy it until the college gives in to their demands.
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