UCLA chancellor announces investigation into 'attack' on anti-Israel encampment

A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer detains a protester while clearing an anti-Israel encampment after dispersal orders were given at the UCLA campus on May 2. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block announced an investigation into the "group of instigators" who "violently attacked" an anti-Israel encampment on the school's campus last week.

Rick Braziel, inaugural associated vice chancellor and chief safety officer, has been chosen to lead the investigation "to identify the perpetrators of the violence and hold them to account."

The LAPD also has a detective committed to assisting UCLA in "investigative efforts," Block said, and LA County District Attorney George Gascón is also prepared to prosecute "the instigators" to the fullest extent of the law.

"This was a truly depicable act, and in my message to campus the following day, I committed to finding those responsible and bringing them to justice," Block said.

The university is also looking into "all available footage" of the incident and asking witnesses who "saw the violence firsthand" to report it. Block also said the school is conducting a "broader assessment of all acts of violence over the last 12 days, including those against counter-protestors(sic)."

"Holding the instigators of this attack accountable and enhancing our campus safety operations are both critical. Our community members can only learn, work and thrive in an environment where they feel secure," he concluded.