Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recently announced that his office would not be pressing charges against Beverly Hills resident Edan On, 18, for his role in the attack on the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment.
On was accused of assaulting a pro-Palestine protester during a coordinated raid by pro-Israel counter-protesters on April 30. He was arrested by members of the UCLA Police Department on May 23 and booked for suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon.
On June 21, Gascón announced that the felony charge against him would be dropped, and his case referred to the City Attorney’s Office for a potential misdemeanor filing.
Gascón said his office completed a “thorough review” of the incident where On allegedly attacked a protester.
“We cannot establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. On’s conduct directly caused the victim’s injury,” Gascón said in a press release. “There is no evidence to suggest that Mr. On was working in collaboration with any other individuals; and our investigation found no proof of conspiracy or any organized effort by Mr. On related to the incident.”
“Given these factors, we believe that the appropriate course of action is to refer the matter to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, which will consider misdemeanor filing,” he added.
In California, assault with a deadly weapon is considered a “wobbler” crime, meaning the prosecution can charge the suspect with a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances of the case. A spokesperson for the City Attorney’s office told the Courier they are reviewing On’s case but declined to provide any further information.
On was arrested in May after CNN published an investigation identifying him as a man in a white hoodie who struck protesters with a long white pole in a widely circulated social media video. The UCLA Police Department later confirmed On was the figure in this video.
In a since-deleted post on social media, On’s mother Sharon On-Siboni bragged about her son’s role in the attack.
She said he “went to bully the Palestinian students in the tents at UCLA and played the song that they played to the Nukhba terrorists in prison!” in a Facebook message posted in Hebrew.
CNN also identified On as a BHUSD student, a claim which the district has declined to comment on, but the Courier has independently verified.
The attack on the Palestine Solidarity Encampment began around 11:30 p.m. on April 30 when counter-protesters led an effort to dismantle the barriers surrounding the encampment.
According to the District Attorney’s office, the victim On is accused of assaulting arrived on campus around the same time to help support the pro-Palestinian protesters. Violence between counter-protesters and protesters ensued and the alleged assault took place between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.
The DA’s office said, “one other matter involving the UCLA demonstration has been presented to the office and is currently under review.”
