Police arrest man accused of attacking UCLA protesters

A pro-Israel counter-protester was arrested by UCLA police Thursday morning, weeks after he allegedly attacked residents of a protest camp on campus with a wooden stake.

According to the UCLA Police Department, detectives interviewed witnesses and victims and reviewed surveillance camera footage from the pro-Palestinian demonstration to identify the suspect, who had no connection to campus and was allegedly part of a group that violently attacked students, faculty and staff on April 30.

The 18-year-old man was arrested at a Beverly Hills store and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, police said. He is currently being held in the Los Angeles County Jail on $30,000 bail. This appears to be the first arrest of a counterprotester.

A law enforcement source confirmed to The Times that the man is Edan On, who CNN identified last week as a counterprotester wearing a white hoodie and mask. The images and videos showed him repeatedly hitting a pro-Palestinian protester with the pole. On is also listed on the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department arrest record.

“The UCLA Police Department is committed to investigating all reported acts of violence and is actively working to identify the other violent offenders associated with protest or counter-protest activities between April 25, 2024 and May 2, 2024,” the police department said in a statement. “The investigation is ongoing.”

A group of student reporters were among those attacked by counter-protesters on April 30. The violence prompted an independent investigation into the university’s actions and law enforcement response to the unrest on campus. Universities across the country have been disrupted by protests against the war between Israel and Hamas.

In early May, more than 200 people were arrested at UCLA during hours of clashes between police and protesters.

Campus Police Chief John Thomas was removed from his post and reassigned, officials said earlier this week, after he was criticized for security lapses that led to violence at a pro-Palestinian encampment. And UCLA Chancellor Gene Block was questioned by members of Congress on Thursday about his handling of complaints of anti-Semitism on campus.