Tents and banners cropped up on the campus of the University of California, Irvine on Monday as pro-Palestinian demonstrators took their message to yet another college campus in Southern California.
University officials told KTLA 5 News that approximately a dozen tents had been erected as of mid-afternoon by protesters demanding UCI divest ties to Israel over the Jewish state’s military response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
KTLA 5 News reporter Chip Yost reported that deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and campus police were staged in a parking lot across from the demonstration. No incidents were reported.
In a statement, a school spokesperson said that the institution “respects the rights of any students to engage in free speech and expression including lawful protest,” indicating that it would follow the University of California’s systemwide guidance and not disrupt the demonstration.
“The safety of all members of the campus community is always a top priority, and we continue to monitor and evaluate the situation to ensure that we are able to continue to provide a safe and secure learning environment,” the statement said.
Roughly 50 miles north of Irvine, a pro-Palestinian protest encampment involving students and non-student activists on the campus of UCLA continued to grow on Monday and, thus far, the university has made no attempts to remove it.
College classes are wrapping up for the semester, and campuses are preparing for graduation ceremonies, giving schools an extra incentive to clear encampments.
The University of Southern California canceled its main graduation ceremony last week due to pro-Palestinian protests and backlash over its valedictorian selection.
Activists, however, have dug in their heels at some high-profile universities, with standoffs also continuing at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale and others.
Protesters at Yale set up a new camp with dozens of tents Sunday, nearly a week after police arrested nearly 50 and cleared a similar one nearby. They were notified by a Yale official that they could face discipline, including suspension and possible arrest if they continued.
In a rare case, Northwestern University said it reached an agreement with students and faculty who represent the majority of protesters on its campus near Chicago. It allows peaceful demonstrations through the June 1 end of spring classes, requires the removal of all tents except one for aid, and restricts the demonstration area to allow only students, faculty and staff unless the university approves otherwise.
Protesters who returned to the University of Texas at Austin on Monday were quickly greeted by dozens of law enforcement officers, many in riot gear. Six protesters were quickly arrested and others were taken into custody one by one. Officers used pepper spray after a group of protesters blocked the path of a police van carrying demonstrators who were arrested. The crowd backed away but continued to block the exit from campus. Officers then used two flash-bang explosives to clear a path so the van could leave.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott reposted on social media video of troopers arriving on the 50,000-student campus. “No encampments will be allowed. Instead, arrests are being made,” Abbott said.