Police in riot gear entered the UC Santa Cruz campus early Friday morning, ordering pro-Palestinian protesters who have blocked the main entrance to campus to disperse.
Video taken after midnight showed a line of police with raised batons standing at the UC Santa Cruz encampment just a few feet from protesters who linked arms. Many protesters wore helmets and goggles and covered their faces with keffiyehs and masks.
“Leave the area immediately,” a law enforcement officer instructed protesters. But his instructions were drowned out by the crowd.
“Cops off campus!” the demonstrators chanted. “Glory to the martyrs!”
By 5 a.m., the protesters appeared to remain at the encampment, calling for backup.
“SHOW UP NOW,” Students for Justice in Palestine UC Santa Cruz said on Instagram. “5AM AND WE ARE STILL HERE. WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER. GET HERE BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.”
It was not immediately clear if any protesters had been arrested. Inquiries to UC Santa Cruz and local law enforcement agencies were not immediately returned.
The standoff took place after protesters blocked the main entrance to campus this week and university leaders switched to remote learning. Students have joined forces with hundreds of striking academic workers at UC Santa Cruz, who allege the University of California’s response to pro-Palestinian demonstrators has violated their free speech rights.
“We call on these protesters to immediately reopen full access to the campus and return to protesting in a manner consistent with both our community values and our student code of conduct,” university leaders wrote Thursday in a message to the campus community. “Denying instructional access is not free speech.”
