This project began organically while I was covering and documenting protests on campus. In the months following the deployment of the California Highway Patrol and several police departments on the night of the encampment, the presence of law enforcement and private security at UCLA multiplied. At even the faintest hint of protest, a forceful deployment against students became almost immediate.

The photographs I captured during this time reflect whatever most caught my eye as officers moved into position. Often, that meant their ammunition and weaponry. I was struck by the cognitive dissonance of such militarized gear on a college campus, purchased by the university, only to be turned against its own students.

I wanted to explore the reactions of regular college students, as well as protesters, to the presence of armed personnel. Some of these images are presented below, and over time, they became an illustration of how quickly the atmosphere can change; in this case, a campus began to resemble a battlefield more than the academic mantle it once represented to its students.