LOS ANGELES — UCLA was reeling Wednesday after hours of violence that unfolded overnight at a pro-Palestinian encampment, heightening concerns about the university’s handling of the protests over the Gaza war and the future of the camp.

Just before midnight, a large group, wearing black outfits and white masks, arrived on campus and tried to tear down the barricades surrounding the encampment.

Campers, some holding lumber and wearing goggles and helmets, rallied to defend the site’s perimeter.

Over several hours, counterdemonstrators hurled objects, including wood and a metal barrier, at the camp and those inside. Fights repeatedly broke out. Some tried to force their way into the camp, and the pro-Palestinian side used pepper spray to defend themselves. Fireworks were also launched into the camp.

The attack went uncountered for three hours, until dozens of officers from the California Highway Patrol, LAPD and other agencies arrived and restored order. The slow response sparked criticism and call for investigations.

In a letter to the University of California Board of Regents obtained by The Times, UC President Michael V. Drake wrote that there is “sufficient confusion” surrounding the violence and that he was ordering an independent review of the university’s planning, its actions and the response by law enforcement.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block called the incident “a dark chapter in our campus’s history” and said the university was “carefully examining our own security processes in light of recent events.”

The question looming over the campus now is the fate of the camp. On Tuesday evening, UCLA had declared the camp “unlawful” and in violation of university policy.

In his letter to the regents, Drake said Block told him the university will dismantle the encampment — which was erected last week in a demand for divestment from Israel and an end to the country’s military actions in the Gaza Strip — at “the appropriate time.”

It is unclear how many people were injured in the incident. Drake wrote in the letter to the regents that 15 people were hurt. However, demonstrators said 25 members of their group were taken to hospitals for treatment. A 26-year-old man suffering from a head injury was taken to the hospital by paramedics, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

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