Hundreds of Orange County police officers dispersed pro-Palestinian protesters on the campus of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and dismantled their encampment, resulting in approximately twenty arrests. The university administration notified students that Thursday’s classes would be conducted online due to the ongoing situation, as faculty members were instructed to work remotely.
The pro-Palestinian protesters had set up a camp between the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall, Croul Hall, and two other academic buildings – Rowland Hall and Frederick Reines Hall – since April 29, surrounded by fences and wooden boards, with about twenty tents inside.
At 2:51 p.m. on the 15th, the university sent out two text message warnings to students, alerting them of violent protests occurring near the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall and advising them to avoid the area. As tensions escalated, police were called in to assist in clearing the occupied buildings, with arrests being made. Protesters regrouped at the encampment between the four buildings, where police set up a perimeter between the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall and Croul Hall.
Multiple helicopters hovered overhead, along with several drones observing the scene. By late afternoon, a larger crowd gathered on one side of the camp, mostly recording videos on their phones and live streaming, as around a hundred protesters faced off with the police chanting “Free Palestine” and questioning the need for police presence during peaceful protest.
Police began a swift clearance operation of the encampment from around 6 p.m. Onlooker Roger commented, “The police would move forward five steps and then pause, creating a buffer so the protesters wouldn’t resort to drastic actions, allowing bystanders to safely retreat.”
In their resistance against the police, protesters dismantled the camp fences and tents. Each time the police advanced, warnings were announced through loudspeakers; those who stood as barriers were handcuffed with zip ties and taken into custody. The confiscated camp items were loaded onto several vehicles by university staff.
Among those arrested were both young students and older individuals, some of whom were willing to be interviewed and photographed by journalists, with a few sustaining minor injuries during the arrests. A female student, fighting back tears, asked a gentle police officer to only take her headscarf as she was being detained.
Riot squads were brought in from various cities by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. By around 8 p.m., protesters and onlookers were dispersed to a large grassy area and promptly left following police warnings of imminent arrests.
Young observer Omar, who came upon the news, wanted to witness the events firsthand and understand the discourse and viewpoints. “I observed that there were only pro-Palestinian protesters here, unlike at other university protests, the atmosphere was relatively calm,” he remarked. “I’m glad everyone could leave safely without any injuries.”
Orange County Supervisor Donald Wagner expressed gratitude on social media towards the county’s law enforcement for responding to the mutual aid request, noting the decisive action as necessary. He underscored the importance of a secure and professional approach by UCI administration and urged students to refrain from engaging in unlawful assemblies as per the university’s regulations.
Prosecutor Todd Spitzer reiterated on social media that his office would continue to collaborate with law enforcement, monitoring all activities, including the protest on that day. He emphasized that while peaceful assembly is a right at UCI, any criminal activities beyond that, including violence and destruction, would not be tolerated.
However, Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan took a different stance, condemning any potential violation of protesters’ First Amendment rights by the police during the encampment’s establishment on April 29. She demanded law enforcement cease actions that infringe upon students’ rights to peaceful assembly and protest.
Khan criticized the use of violence in response to peaceful expression, stating that occupying campus spaces poses no threat. She called on UCI leadership to prevent the escalation of violence and acknowledged that these were students, unarmed and in need of protection.
Former Newport Beach Mayor and attorney Will O’Neill criticized Khan’s statements on X platform (formerly Twitter), arguing that the police were responding to increased mutual aid requests and Khan’s careless wording insinuated premature accusations against officers and their actions. He urged Khan to clarify her statements if not speaking on behalf of the Mayor’s Office.
With escalating anti-Israel activities on U.S. college campuses, pro-Palestinian protesters across some universities are setting up encampments, drawing attention to their cause. The UCI protesters presented seven demands, including divestment from all pro-Israel companies, public disclosure of donations and investments, cessation of cooperation with Israel, revocation of student disciplinary actions, and removal of off-campus police presence.
In a statement released on April 26, UCI opposed divestment from Israel and outlined that while acknowledging diverse viewpoints within the community, such actions would undermine academic freedom and uninhibited intellectual exchange. External investments provided stable and growing revenue, benefiting current and retired staff and supporting the university’s educational, research, and public service missions.
UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman, in a statement on May 3, stated that the university had been engaging in open discussions with student protest leaders since the encampment’s inception, aiming to swiftly resolve issues through constructive negotiations and prevent security threats and disruptions to university operations observed at other campuses.
Gillman explained that a proposal nearly meeting the initial demands of protesters was offered on May 1; however, new demands on the following day challenged the core mission of the university in educating, fostering research, and serving a diverse, unbiased community. He emphasized UCI’s commitment as an academic institution to pursue and disseminate higher knowledge through thoughtful deliberation, ongoing dialogue, and debate.
On May 9, several students from the pro-Palestinian protest encampment received notice of being banned from campus and university housing facilities for violating school regulations.
Around 2:30 p.m. on the 15th, hundreds of protesters rushed into and barricaded the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall, and after a joint operation by Orange County law enforcement, protesters and onlookers dispersed around 8 p.m. Most students had opted to stay away from the area upon receiving advance warnings.