University of California, Irvine and Riverside students joined the growing number of colleges around the country protesting the U.S.’s involvement in the war in Gaza.
Both UC Irvine and UC Riverside students set up encampments on their respective campuses on April 29 demanding the universities divest from companies that supply Israel with military equipment and provide full transparency on the college’s investments.
“We’re here to bring all attention to the genocide in Palestine and Gaza and here to demand that our university divest from all Zionist institutions and weapons manufacturing companies who are currently funding the genocide in Gaza right now,” said Em Wong, an English major at UC Irvine.
Early in the protest, UC Irvine students encountered opposition from police and university officials. Officials erected barricades to restrict the protesters to a designated area on campus.
The protesters repurposed the barricades by securing them with zip ties to form the encampment. This improvised barrier closed off access to the encampment, requiring students seeking entry to check in with organizers stationed at the entrance.
A large police presence gathered in the parking lot near the encampment at noon and officers appeared to be practicing drills aimed at breaking up the encampment.
The officers were from several departments, including University of California Police, Orange County Sheriffs Department, Costa Mesa Police, Newport Beach Police and Westminster Police.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the university had requested officers to come to campus and assist with the encampment. An Orange County sheriff’s bus was in the parking lot to assist in removing the protesters from campus.
Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan was present for much of the afternoon observing the protest but did not get involved She declined to give a statement directly but did release a statement later in the day.
“As we continue to receive news on the peaceful assembly of students at the University of California, Irvine Mayor Farah N. Khan would like to remind the public of their legal rights during protests, demonstrations and gatherings,” Khan’s Instagram post said.
The Instagram post included a final quote from Khan that said, “I am asking our law enforcement to stand down. I will not tolerate any violations to our students’ rights to peacefully assemble and protest.”
This statement was posted around 2 p.m. on April 29 and by 4 p.m. most of the police had left campus with only a few university police remaining.
UC Irvine issued a statement addressing the protest saying, “UC Irvine respects the rights of any students to engage in free speech and expression including lawful protest. 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.”
UC Riverside also joined in the protest on April 29, setting up an encampment near the bell tower in the middle of campus.
Unlike Irvine, Riverside’s encampment was open with no barriers separating the encampment from the rest of campus. Organizers were seeking similar demands to those in Irvine, demanding the university divest from defense contractors and companies doing business with Israel.
The Riverside campus had a smaller police presence as the university seemed willing to let the encampment stand for the time being.
The university’s conditions for students were to not write in chalk on the sidewalk, not put up any large signs or banners and not block access to any university buildings.
“We support free speech, but speech and activity that disrupts campus operations is not protected. I have asked several campus leaders to ensure that this latest demonstration does not disrupt normal operations on campus,” Kim A. Wilcox, UC Riverside Chancellor, said in a statement to students on April 29.
As of May 1, both encampments are still standing and police have not interacted with the protesters. There are no plans for similar encampments at Long Beach State, but a protest at Brotman Hall is planned for May 2.