Anti-Israel protest organizers at the University of California, Los Angeles, compared themselves to Palestinians in the Gaza war following a violent clash on campus — as a local Jewish group slammed the university’s lack of leadership for allowing things to reach a boiling point.

Leaders at the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment claimed they experienced a “life-threatening assault” after counter-protesters tried to clear the camp overnight in what turned into a chaotic brawl that required intervention from LAPD officers.

The protesters alleged in an Instagram post that their aggressors were armed with pepper spray, gas canisters and bricks, and suggested that what happened was similar to what’s going on in the Israel-Hamas war that has left more than 35,000 people dead.

“The zionist attacks, their use of chemical weaponry, their hatred, their destruction, are but a microcosm of the genocide in Gaza,” the organizers said in a statement. “The university would rather see us dead than divest [from Israel].” 

The tone-deaf response makes no mention of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack that left more than 1,200 people dead in Israel and more than 240 kidnapped by Hamas, nor does it bring up the deteriorating conditions more than 1 million Palestinian refugees are facing in Gaza.

Chaos erupted on the Los Angeles college campus Tuesday night into Wednesday morning after the university declared that the encampment “is unlawful and violates university policy.”

A large group of pro-Israel demonstrators arrived to tear down the barricades at the protest site, with the anti-Israel protesters fighting back.

As firecrackers, chairs and other objects flew, the protesters claimed the university did nothing to help restore order.

“Campus safety left within minutes, external security the university hired for ‘backup’ watched, filmed, and laughed on the side as the immediate danger inflicted upon us escalated,” the protest organizers said. “Law enforcement simply stood at the edge of the lawn and refused to budge as we screamed for their help.”

The university said law enforcement was immediately called, with the LAPD eventually arriving to split apart the groups and restore order.

The Jewish Federation Los Angeles, which condemned the actions of the counter-protesters, said the clash was an inevitable consequence “of the lack of leadership from the Chancellor and the UCLA administration.”

“The Chancellor has allowed for an environment to be created over many months that has made students feel unsafe, allowed for illegal encampments in violation of its own laws, refused to censure faculty and staff who flouted UCLA’s Code of Conduct, and has been systemically slow to respond when law enforcement is desperately needed,” the federation said in a statement.

The group, which works to promote Los Angeles’ Jewish community, has condemned the demonstrations at UCLA and colleges around the nation as acts of “antisemitism, hate, and intolerance towards Jews.”

UCLA canceled classes on Wednesday following the violence and shut down Royce Hall, the area near the encampment, for the rest of the week.

“We have law enforcement presence stationed throughout campus to help promote safety,” the university said in a statement. “Student Affairs will have essential staff on campus to support our students who have been impacted by this tragedy.”