Four student journalists were attacked by Pro-Israel counterprotesters early Wednesday morning.

Four student journalists who work for the UCLA Daily Bruin were attacked shortly before 3:30 a.m. Wednesday by Pro-Israel counterprotesters during a campus demonstration that turned violent.

Daily Bruin news editor Catherine Hamilton, 21, told The Times she recognized one of the counterprotesters as someone who had previously verbally harassed her and taken pictures of her press badge. The individual instructed the group to encircle the student journalists, she said, before they sprayed the four with mace or pepper spray, flashed lights in their faces and chanted Hamilton’s name.

As she tried to break free, Hamilton said, she was punched repeatedly in the chest and upper abdomen; another student journalist was pushed to the ground and beaten and kicked for nearly a minute. The attack was first reported in the Daily Bruin.

“We expected to be harassed by counterprotesters,” Hamilton said in an interview Wednesday, adding that every Daily Bruin reporter was instructed to use a buddy system, to report from outside the encampment and to leave the area if it became unsafe. “I truly did not expect to be directly assaulted.”

Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20240502114521/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-05-01/four-student-journalists-attacked-by-counterprotesters-at-ucla

  • MerrySkeptic@sh.itjust.works
    82·
    18 days ago

    Fuck these counter-protestors. I hope the reporters press charges. It really seems like the majority of the violence is started by the counter-protestors, but apparently this is what Zionism is all about.

    • TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee
      42·
      18 days ago

      Didn’t you hear? Congress just expanded the definition of antisemitism, criticizing Zionism or the state of Israel is now doing hate crimes.

      I mean you can still attack people of color while screaming racial epithets and get booked for a misdemeanor, but criticizing a state? Hate crime.

      This is totally progressive because we have to protect all of our white passing minorities with deep pockets, they’re clearly the most disadvantaged minority in America…

      As a POC it’s kinda disheartening to see just how quickly Congress can move to protect “minority” groups when it suits them. It took them a year of targeted violence against Asian people that culminated with a murder spree for them to attempt anything. Now Israeli nationalist physically attack peaceful protestors and they make it illegal to criticize an entire state?

      I feel bad for the Jewish people standing up to their governments genocidal intent. The only logical conclusion of the American and Israeli government forced conflation of ethnicity and state is a rise in actual antisemitism.

      • GFGJewbacca@lemm.ee
        17·
        18 days ago

        Just want to clarify, as an Jewish American clergyman, the Israeli government is not our government. To say otherwise is to play into the Israeli propaganda which states “To be Jewish is to be Israeli, and to be Israeli is to be Jewish.” The fact that the Israeli government has twisted religion to serve its fascist goals is nauseating.

        • TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee
          6·
          18 days ago

          I agree, conflating nationalism with ethnicity is just such a dangerous game. As a Korean, it is tough watching governments continue to use ethno-nationalism to turn a people upon themselves.

          I have great empathy for what you are experiencing, and i hope that your community is not affected by the schisms created by this horrible conflict.

      • Black_Char@kbin.social
        7·
        18 days ago

        You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villian is such a real thing. We as a country progressed so far and made this country a place where EVERYONE wanted to live. Then all of a sudden nazis/racists everywhere the eye can see. Then the worst part, like you mentioned, is that they are so quick to claim victim and abuse when it suits them, but brown and black people asking for recognition/help totally unacceptable.

        What does it mean when the Jews themselves are the nazis? What does it mean when the group of people that the whole world has recognized as having extreme hardships that they went to literal war for it, now is trying their hand at the same playbook? They Israelis are 1 step away from gas chambering people and yet they don’t recognize they deep seated flaws and hypocrisy.

      • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
        3·
        17 days ago

        That was the house. The senate hasent passed shit and likely wont.

        That bill wont become a law. Its just political theater in an election year

      • TigrisMorte@kbin.social
        2·
        17 days ago

        “white passing minorities” - easily misinterpreted as a ‘one drop’ comment.
        “with deep pockets” - easily misinterpreted as a ‘Jews control finance’ comment.

        Be careful how you word things as the other side shall reinterpret to take offense and play victim that you point be derailed.

  • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
    76·
    18 days ago

    Imagine beating up journalists and honestly thinking you’re on the right side of history.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    48·
    18 days ago

    Considering Israel is killing journalists, this isn’t shocking.

    You don’t want a free press around when you’re committing atrocities.

    Too bad everyone has an internet-connected video camera in their pocket these days.

  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
    35·
    18 days ago

    Attacks are warrantless, regardless of who is victimized, but targeting journalists undoubtedly speaks to an agenda.

  • TigrisMorte@kbin.social
    23·
    18 days ago

    Don’t worry, the media blames the protestors rather than the counter protestors, just like the George Floyd protest.