Police clear out pro-Palestinian encampment at UC San Diego; dozens arrested (2024)

The headline of this story originally stated that protesters had been pepper-sprayed, which has not been confirmed. Video shows people rinsing the eyes out of at least one person, but, if they were hit with pepper-spray, it's not clear why. — Ed.

As the sun came up on Monday, police in riot gear dismantled a pro-Palestinian encampment and arrested dozens of protesters, mostly students, on UC San Diego's campus. Some of them were released throughout the evening.

The arrests started at around 6 a.m. after police declared the "Gaza Solidarity" encampment an unlawful assembly and ordered demonstrators to leave.

Early images at campus showed a line of police in front of the encampment on the campus' Library Walk. A short time later, images showed police dismantling the encampment and arresting people on site. NBC 7 crews showed dozens of students arrested by the California Highway Patrol.

Officials told NBC 7 that law enforcement had arrested 64 people, 40 of whom were students.

"... twenty-four were unaffiliated or their status is unknown at this time," the school's communications department told NBC 7. "The arrested students have been or will be placed under immediate interim suspension."

There have been some major developments on the campus of UC San Diego, where police in riot gear dismantled the pro-Palestinian encampment and arrested dozens. NBC 7’s Shandel Menezes has more from the downtown jail where some of the protesters were taken.

In a statement released by Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, he called out to students, faculty, staff and others to peacefully disperse.

"We began communicating with participants within minutes of the camp’s establishment. Nevertheless, the encampment has tripled in size in violation of the group’s commitment not to expand the footprint. This encampment poses an unacceptable safety and security hazard on campus," the statement read.

In a later statement, Khosla said that "many people voluntarily left the encampment," while "others chose to stay and be arrested."

By 7:30 a.m. the encampment was cleared and many demonstrators were taken to jail by San Diego County Sheriffs. NBC 7 spoke with the California Highway Patrol on site, who said they arrested students for failing to follow a dispersal order and said they were on campus on request of UCSD.

"University of California San Diego Police, CHP and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department successfully and peacefully dismantled an illegal encampment on the UC San Diego campus. The decision to vacate the site was based on the danger arising from a prolonged event in terms of health, fire, safety and security," the university said in a statement.

Two minor injuries were reported.

NBC 7's Nicole Gomez is at the La Jolla campus with the latest details.

After the arrests, a large crowd of protesters gathered near UC San Diego's Price Center on Monday, where a bus with barred windows that is operated by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department had been brought on campus, likely to transport those whom had been taken into custody.

At least one person was spotted using a water bottle to rinse out another protester's eyes.

The large crowd, while not surrounding the bus, certainly impeded its departure after several of those in attendance began banging on the sides of the coach.

The gathering took place shortly after 10 a.m., with what seemed to be several hundred people chanting, and at least two of those present waving Palestinian flags, sirens wailing in the distance. Several members of law enforcement from multiple agencies were spotted at the scene outfitted in riot gear, many of them with batons in hand at the ready.

Soon, as the bus made its exit, those same officers were using the batons to push back on the protesters to create a void between them and the vehicle, which was blaring its horn as it made its way out.

Khosla said that this incident led to one additional arrest.

Police and sheriff's deputies began to make arrests shortly after 6 a.m.

Later in the day, protesters assembled in downtown San Diego, demanding the release of those who had been arrested. One protester held a sign saying, "UCSD Free Speech. Free My Students," while dozens of others milled around Civic Center Plaza, blocks away from the downtown jail where the protesters had originally gathered.

All classes were moved remotely effective immediately, according to an email sent to students and staff. The university said it will resume normal operations Tuesday from 6 a.m.

UCSD's west campus operations were suspended from North Torrey Pines Road to Interstate 5 due to the police presence. All facilities were closed but housing and dining remained open, according to a Triton Alert sent to students.

The Metropolitan Transit Service (MTS) had suspended service to UCSD's Central Campus Station due to the police activity.

"You can imagine the outrage and the shock the community felt, knowing that the chancellor called for this to happen," Jeanine Erikat, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said.

Erikat spoke out on behalf of the protesters, saying they are calling on the university to condemn the war in Gaza, boycott study abroad programs with Israel and divest from Israel.

In the meantime, demonstrators say they will continue to fight.

Hillel of San Diego released a statement on Instagram Monday after the encampment was dismantled.

"We are appreciative of the university leadership for taking the necessary steps to enforce its policies and code of conduct to ensure that our university remains a safe and welcoming space," the statement read. "All students - including Jewish students - have the right to experience campus free from intimidation and harassment."

The moves by law enforcement and the school came on the same morning that Hamas accepted a cease-fire proposal for Gaza after Israel ordered the evacuation of the city of Rafah evacuation.

Here is the full statement released by the chancellor:

A Message from Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla

On May 1, 2024, campus community members and non-affiliates established an illegal encampment near Library Walk. As I stated in myprevious message, unauthorized encampments are strictly prohibited, and we must enforce our campus policies and the law for the safety and well-being of all members of our campus community. We began communicating with participants within minutes of the camp’s establishment. Nevertheless, the encampment has tripled in size in violation of the group’s commitment not to expand the footprint. This encampment poses an unacceptable safety and security hazard on campus.

Throughout this unlawful encampment, campus police, security teams and free expression monitors have been on site to support the safety and security of all members of the campus community and to maintain the continuity of campus operations and our academic mission. Since the encampment was established, university administration has attempted to maintain regular communication with encampment liaisons identified by the group. We have been met with shifting liaisons and claims that the encampment has no organized leadership with whom to reach binding agreements. Nevertheless, we were assured that the encampment had committed not to increase the size of the area, and despite this agreement, that commitment was not honored.

The encampment poses serious safety and security hazards to those inside and outside the encampment area. In the last week, the encampment has limited free movement on campus, created a checkpoint for entry into the camp, and denied access to the fire marshal and health inspectors. As time passes, the threat and potential for violent clashes increases. The presence of a significant number of non-affiliates in the encampment heightens these concerns.

UC San Diego strongly supports the right to free expressionand has supported the rights of those participating in multiple pro-Palestinian protests this academic year, including a demonstration with more than 2,000 participants on March 6, 2024.

The violation of law and campus policy represented by this encampment, however, is not a peaceful protest. It has become dangerous. As University of California Board of Regents Chair Richard Leib recently stated in hisletter to the university community, “Protests that interfere with university operations or threaten the safety of students require immediate enforcement of university policies.” I am calling on our students, faculty, staff and non-affiliates participating in the encampment to peacefully disperse.

The encampment was first established on May 1, joining dozens of universities around the world where students maintained pro-Palestinian sites. Compared to some other schools across the U.S., the UCSD campus had been relatively peaceful until Monday morning.

"As a Jewish American student, I stand with the many Jewish, Palestinian and people of all backgrounds that demand divestment from the occupation and genocide of the Palestinian people," said Rachel, an undergraduate majoring in biological anthropology. "We are inspired by the Black civil rights movement, the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, and the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam — to repair the world — to call for a free Palestine.

"The chancellor and university admin want us to stay silent — not for the benefit of humanity but for the benefit of their own pockets. The call for divestment is now. The call to end to complicity is now," she continued.

So far, it has been pretty peaceful, with a noticeable lack of volatility. NBC 7's Todd Strain takes a closer look at the action at UC San Diego's campus on May 2, 2024.

UC San Diego's Associated Students passed a resolution last month calling for divestment. The university rejected that call, stating: "The resolution does not align with the position of UC San Diego, which like the University of California and the other nine UC campuses, has consistently opposed calls for a boycott against and divestment from Israel."

The UCSDivest Coalition is specifically calling on the university to issue a statement affirming the right of Palestinian people "to live in freedom and safety in their indigenous homeland" and condemn the actions of Israel, and offer amnesty for all associated with the encampment.

They also want a campus-wide boycott of institutional and research partnerships with Department of Defense contractors, companies named by the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement and "all Israeli companies, universities, and government agencies.

Numerous San Diego Jewish community leaders and organizations released the following joint statement on Friday:

"We, as Jewish communal leaders in San Diego, stand with our Jewish college students. Like you, we have been watching, with great concern, as pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests and encampments have rolled out across college campuses across the country, including a walkout earlier this week at SDSU and an encampment at UCSD.

"We have watched in horror at the misinformation and disinformation on display amongst the protestors, at the students and outside agitators masking their identities with keffiyehs and glasses, in effect, dressing like Hamas terrorists, as if this is something to be emulated. To say these encampments are peaceful does not begin to capture the intended effect, and the intimidation they are meant to cause.

"Many of the protesters on campus are not actually students. On the ground on Library Walk at UCSD are chalked slogans like “From the River to the Sea” and “One solution; intifada revolution.” These words are not about liberation; they are about annihilation. From the River to the Sea is a slogan that calls for the obliteration of the state of Israel, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Calling for “Intifada,” the term commonly used to refer to two periods in Israel known for horrific terror attacks designed to kill Jews, is a call for violence.

"We agree that a university campus should provide a marketplace of ideas, but violence and intimidation are not provided for under free speech. These encampments violate campus protocols to which all students and faculty agree to abide. They are fueled by a campaign of misinformation and by underlying antisemitism, and we appreciate the steps that the university has taken and strongly encourage further action to ensure their code of conduct is honored, the encampment gets shut down, and to hold those responsible accountable for their actions, while protecting the safety of everyone involved.

"Collectively, we are in close contact around this situation, led by Hillel of San Diego and our campus partners. We are extraordinarily proud of the Jewish students who have been strong, resilient, articulate, supportive of one another and who have represented the Jewish people with remarkable care and courage. They have asked that community members not engage or antagonize the protestors. Rather, they have asked that the community attend any of the public events during the student-led Peace in Israel week, May 13-17, which includes important speakers, demonstrations against the atrocities committed by Hamas along with a rally and nighttime shuk.

"We all want to see peace in the Middle East. We want to see the more than 130 hostages still held in Gaza home safely, and an end to the fighting. And every single one of us wants to see our college students free to enjoy all that a university education entails without fear, intimidation or harassment simply because they are Jewish, or support the right of Israel to exist."

UCSD Hillel, a campus Jewish organization, put out a post on Instagram calling for safety for Jewish students.

"Jewish students should be able to express their Jewish identities and support for the Jewish state without fear, in a learning environment free of hostility," the organization's post read. "As always, we are resilient in the face of these challenges. Our doors are always open, and we will continue to serve as a safe space for Jewish students."

The Protest at the University of San Diego on May 1

On Wednesday, a fairly sizable crowd of protesters gathered on the main quad of the University of San Diego shortly after noon for what organizers described on social media as a Requiem for the Dead and Dying in Gaza.

The students and other pro-Palestinian supporters were peaceful, mostly lying prostrate on the ground or sitting in concentric waves around speakers, with many holding signs, including one that read "Arresting Kids Is Not Self-Defence"

At least three Palestinian flags were spotted flapping in the breeze.

If there was any police presence at the scene, it was difficult to detect with SkyRanger 7 flew over the campus.

An Instagram post that went up before the protest said, "The Gaza @ USD faculty coalition is organizing a memorial THIS Wednesday, May 1st, and are inviting you to join in this moment of solidarity!" and "Stand With Us As We Pray for All the Lives Lost." The post also called for protesters to wear all back, a call to action responded to by a large percentage of those attending.

The announcement stated the protest was scheduled for 12:30-2 p.m.

Protest on April 30 at SDSU

The encampment comes a day after hundreds of San Diego State University students staged a walkout with demands for the university to sever financial ties with Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

That action, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine at SDSU, San Diego 4 Palestine Coalition and SDSU's Middle Eastern and North African Student Union, began at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hepner Hall followed by a march through campus at 2:30 p.m.

A social media post circulated by the student groups said that among other demands, they want SDSU to "divest financially from Israel's war on Gaza and occupation in Palestine." They called on SDSU President Adela De La Torre "to acknowledge the genocide and discrimination on campus."

SDSU addressed Tuesday's walkout with the following statement: "As a public university, and as aligned with our institutional values, San Diego State University must allow for constitutionally protected free speech and an individual's right to acts of peaceful protest.

"As a diverse campus community, this also means that those within our campus community will have varying values, ideas and points of view. We both expect and encourage all those within our campus community to engage in respectful conversations and interactions, as detailed in SDSU's Principles of Community. SDSU does not accept any instance of harassment or discrimination. Additionally, university safety professionals and administrators from the division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity continue to be in contact with members of our Jewish, Islamic, Arab, and Palestinian communities, in addition to other campus community members.

"We strongly encourage all who choose to gather to adhere to laws and university policies."

While there were no reports of violence emerging from the walkout by mid-afternoon, a local law enforcement presence was formed.

Protests also continued Wednesday at USC and UCLA, with encampments formed by protesters who have vowed to occupy public spaces on campus until their demands are met. Protest encampments also emerged Monday at UC Irvine and UC Riverside.