The Los Angeles district attorney’s office announced on Friday that 18-year-old Edan On, a pro-Israeli counterprotester, will not face felony assault charges in connection with an alleged attack against occupants of a Palestinian solidarity encampment at UCLA last month. Instead, the case has been referred to the city attorney’s office for a possible misdemeanor filing.
On was identified as the masked man in a white hoodie who was seen in widely shared videos repeatedly striking protesters with a pole during a pro-Palestinian demonstration on April 30 at the UCLA campus. The UCLA Police Department, after interviewing witnesses and victims and reviewing security camera footage, identified On as the perpetrator.
The violent clash between pro-Israeli counterprotesters and students and faculty in the encampment lasted for hours, with the former armed with fireworks, gas irritants, and blunt objects. Private security guards and campus police reportedly watched from a distance. On was detained by police on May 23 in Beverly Hills and booked on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon.
However, after reviewing the evidence, the district attorney’s office concluded that they could not establish beyond reasonable doubt that On’s conduct directly caused the victim’s injury. They also found no evidence of collaboration or organized effort by On related to the incident. There are no other alleged victims in the matter.
The city attorney’s office will now determine whether to pursue misdemeanor charges against On. Gascón’s office stated that this referral aligns with their commitment to applying the law fairly and ensuring justice is served based on the available evidence.
2 Responses
The post discusses the decision made by the Los Angeles district attorney’s office not to press felony assault charges against Edan On, an 18-year-old pro-Israeli counterprotester. This decision relates to an alleged attack on individuals at a Palestinian solidarity encampment at UCLA.
My insights:
1. The decision not to press felony assault charges may be controversial, as it could be seen as a missed opportunity to hold someone accountable for their alleged actions.
2. It is important to remember that this
I remember a similar incident that occurred in my city a few years ago. There was a protest organized by a pro-environment group advocating for stricter regulations on industrial waste disposal. During the protest, tensions escalated between the protesters and a group of counterprotesters who believed that the regulations would negatively impact local businesses.
One particular counterprotester, let’s call him John, was accused of assaulting a protester named Sarah. Sarah claimed that John physically attacked her by pushing her and throwing objects at her.