A pro-Israel counterprotester was arrested by UCLA police Thursday morning, weeks after he allegedly attacked residents of a campus protest camp with a wooden pole.
Detectives interviewed witnesses and victims and reviewed security camera footage from pro-Palestinian demonstrations to identify the suspect, according to the UCLA Police Department. One of the groups that violently attacks students, faculty and staff.
The 18-year-old man was taken into custody at a Beverly Hills business and booked on a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon, police said. He is currently being held in the Los Angeles County Jail with bail set at $30,000. This appears to be the first arrest of counter-protesters.
A law enforcement source confirmed to The Times that the man was Edan On, who CNN identified last week in widely shared images and videos as a man wearing a white hoodie. Wearing a mask as a counter-protester, the images and videos show him punching a pro-Palestinian protester multiple times. His name is also listed in Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department arrest records.
“The UCLA Police Department is committed to investigating all reported acts of violence and actively working to identify additional perpetrators of violence associated with any protests or counter-protests between April 25, 2024, and May 2, 2024.” said in a statement. “The investigation is ongoing.”
On April 30, a group of student journalists were attacked by counter-protesters. Protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war have disrupted universities across the country.
In early May, more than 200 people were arrested after hours of clashes between police and protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Campus Police Chief John Thomas was fired and reassigned after facing criticism over security concerns that led to violence at a pro-Palestinian camp, officials said earlier this week. UCLA President Gene Bullock was grilled by lawmakers Thursday over his handling of complaints about anti-Semitism on campus.
