Nearly 200 police officers in riot gear broke up a pro-Palestinian encampment on Monday at the University of California San Diego.
The confrontation was large enough to cause university officials to move classes online and close vehicle access to the campus west of Interstate 5. Some 65 people were arrested with several hundred protesters marching downtown to continue their chants of "let them go" in front of the county jail.
"I am a faculty member, but today they are my teacher," said Gary Fields, a UCSD professor who teaches a class on dissent and protest, referring to the students outside the jail. He told the San Diego Tribune that school administrators had "turned the police on a completely peaceful and legal demonstration."
Students were divided on the police actions with some challenged on where to draw the line between protests and order.
"Obviously, it’s unfortunate to see riot teams on campus," said Ivan Ramirez, a member of Associated Students council who characterized the encampment as "divisive" among students. "Not something that happens every day. But everything gets to a point where action has to be taken — not this level of action, but I think [the administrators] were looking at what was happening on other campuses."
In a statement Monday, UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said the demonstrators were given multiple warnings to leave before police action. Khosla added that while the university welcomes peaceful protests, "this encampment violated campus policy and the law and grew to pose an unacceptable risk to the safety of the campus community."
Khosla also made note of "significant dangers" at the encampments, saying police had found stakes, propane tanks, plywood shields, aerosol spray cans, and a sword. FOX5 in San Diego reported that on Tuesday, "normal operations" had resumed on campus.
More than 2,300 people having been arrested on more than 44 college and universities campuses across 23 states, the Associated Press reported Friday.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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