UC Irvine: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Arrested as Encampment Cleared

TL/DR –

A pro-Palestinian protest at the University of California, Irvine, resulted in multiple arrests after demonstrators demanding the university divest from Israel created a makeshift barricade and began blocking an entrance to a building. Law enforcement officers in riot gear were deployed to disperse the protest and dismantle the encampment. Classes for the rest of the day were cancelled, and the university asked those in the area to evacuate until further notice.

Arrests at UC Irvine Pro-Palestinian Protest

A large pro-Palestinian protest at UC Irvine on Wednesday resulted in several arrests after tensions rose, leading to a significant law enforcement response.

The protest started near the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall around 2:30 p.m., where a weeks-long encampment, similar to those seen at other universities, was established. The protestors demanded the university divest from Israel over the Hamas war and began blocking the entrance to the building with stacked tents.

By early evening, hundreds of police officers and sheriff’s deputies in riot gear had descended on the campus, arresting protesters and dismantling the encampment after declaring an unlawful assembly. The exact number of arrests is still unknown.

High Tension but No Extreme Violence

Throughout the afternoon and evening, the situation remained tense but did not escalate into severe violence. A detained woman, who identified herself as a professor in the global studies department, voiced her support for the students, questioning the future students would have under a “genocidal foreign policy”.

As the situation escalated, the remainder of the day’s classes were canceled, and officials urged people in the area to evacuate. The protest came to a head when hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters entered a lecture hall and surrounded the building.

Local Leaders Call for Peaceful Protests

Several Orange County leaders commented on the situation, advocating for peaceful protests. Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan called for non-violence and criticized the UCI leadership for allowing the situation to escalate. Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley called for restraint and peaceful dispersal of the protestors.

University’s Stance on Protests

The protest follows a series of similar demonstrations at universities across the country. Despite calls for divestment from companies supporting Israel, the University of California president last month announced that the institutions would not boycott or divest from Israel.

UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman stated that selective enforcement of rules against encampments is unlawful and could set a precedent that threatens the community’s safety and the university’s ability to operate.

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