LOS ANGELES — Police moved into the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA Thursday morning, where they faced intense resistance and made dozens of arrests.

Officers wearing body armor, helmets and face shields methodically pulled apart the barricade as protesters tried to hold together the assemblage of plywood and metal fencing. Flares arced overhead, igniting with piercing blasts, and smoke filled the air from fire extinguishers that demonstrators sprayed at the police.

Police launched flares over the encampment that set off loud blasts. Officers watched the scene from the high windows of Royce Hall, infuriating protesters who shone lights in their eyes and challenged them to come down.

There were several fronts of the operation, with police using flash-bang type devices that echoed across campus and dismantling tents.

But it was a slow operation, with officers making some progress then stopping to regroup. But by 5 a.m. they were beginning to surround the camp.

They were able to move protesters out of Royce Hall after a series of tense scuffles. It is unclear how many people were taken into custody. But some protesters appeared to leave the scene on their own.

Earlier in the morning, about 15 LAPD officers entered through a makeshift barricade near the school’s Tonga steps around 1:30 a.m. before protesters pushed them back, according to a UCLA student who witnessed the incident.

The student, who declined to be named, said the demonstrators who remained early Thursday morning in the encampment were prepared to be arrested.

“The people who have been here consistently are sleep deprived, but people here are ready to defend the camp,” she said.

UCLA police repeatedly announced over loudspeakers that protesters should clear the area “immediately” and that those who failed to do so would be subject to arrest.

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