Police arrest approximately a dozen demonstrators at the University of California, Irvine, while removing a tent site.
A sizeable group of protesters stormed into the UC Irvine university around 2:30 pm and amassed around the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall. UC Irvine issued an emergency update, disclosing that they had sent out a mutual aid call to local law enforcement for help. This assistance is being provided by the Irvine Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
The aerial footage from CNN affiliate KABC indicates that at least half of the students protesting have been cleared from the encampment. The law enforcement deployed zip ties to bind the protesters while they were being led towards a parking lot.
Shortly after 5:10 pm on Wednesday, law enforcement took action to dismantle the encampment at the university. Images captured in the air show multiple police officers swarming around the cluster of tents outside the hall, facing a group of protesters. Some of the detainees can also be spotted in the aerial pictures.
The protestors attempted to rebuild the torn-down barricades with piles of wood panels and tents. KABC's live pictures show law enforcement eradicating these structures.
A sign decorating the structure behind the encampment says "UC Divest from genocide", while another below it appears to read "drop suspensions defend students". A significant sign is seen adjacent to the other two on the building, which refers to the Palestinian activist, Alex Odeh, who functioned as the West Coast regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
This group of pro-Palestinian protesters set up camp on the campus on April 29. UC Irvine appealed to local law enforcement to co-operate with their campus police on handling the situation.
Chancellor Howard Gillman issued a statement to the campus on May 1st, disclosing that the university would persist in negotiating with on-campus pro-Palestinians regarding divestment. Students opposing Israel's military actions in Gaza chiefly urged their educational institutions to sell shares in organizations with links to Israel.
UC Irvine presented a written proposal to student leaders and received a counterproposal in early May. In his statement, Gillman articulated his concerns regarding some of the requests included in the counterproposal. He highlighted that, "the counterproposal calls for closing down various external partnerships that sponsor our students through scholarships and enable long-running scientific partnerships.
He also underlined that it requires ending numerous academic and research associations with Israeli organizations and individuals. This would contravene fundamentals of academic freedom and necessitate discrimination based on nationality, running counter to our commitment to anti-discrimination and pledges to diversity, equity, and inclusion."
In his statement, Gillman expressed gratitude to the protestors for ensuring that their encampment remained peaceful and didn't disturb university activities severely. “As long as this holds true, there is no reason to contact law enforcement except to ensure the safety of the protestors and others in the vicinity," he added.
Wednesday's classes were cancelled, and the university has asked individuals to remain distant from the university. The emergency update earlier asked people to stay indoors but then advised them to leave the region. "It's disheartening that peaceful, free speech protests are always met with violence. Occupying space on campus or within a building is not a menace to anybody," Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan posted on Wednesday. "UCI leadership must do all they can to avert the creation of a violent situation here. These individuals are your students without weapons."
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The Irvine Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department, who were called for assistance by UC Irvine, were aiding in the removal of the encampment and the arrest of demonstrators, including some US students. Despite the escalation, Chancellor Howard Gillman expressed gratitude for the peaceful protests that did not significantly disrupt university activities.
Source: edition.cnn.com
