After hundreds of anti-Israel protesters swarmed campus buildings and set up barricades at the University of California, Irvine, local law enforcement responded and immediately ordered students to leave “the area” on Wednesday. I was ordered to “move out.”
A UC Irvine spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital that after hundreds of protesters entered the Physical Sciences Lecture Hall on the California campus at 2:30 p.m. PT and began barricading the building. , said the campus was in chaos.
The university notified local law enforcement and received immediate assistance from the Irvine Police Department and Organge County Sheriff’s Department.
A subsequent statement told students to “vacate the area” as protests continued.
“Anyone in a building near the site of an active protest is encouraged to exit the building and leave the area at this time,” UC Irvine said in a statement.
“Ignore all previous shelter-in-place orders. If possible, leave immediately and continue to avoid protest areas until further notice.”
Video from the campus showed law enforcement wearing protest gear and carrying batons clashing with anti-Israel agitators.
Demonstrators could also be seen holding umbrellas and chanting “Free, Free Palestine”.
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” they could be heard shouting.
“Long live Palestine”
The protesters who entered the campus on Wednesday afternoon joined an existing encampment that had occupied the campus since April 29, authorities said.
in Previous X postsThe University of California, Irvine told students to “shelter in place” as police descended on campus.
“Protests have escalated near the Physical Sciences Quad. Please avoid the area,” the social media post reads.
“If you are in the area, please shelter in place for your safety until further notice.”
The University of California, Irvine said classes for the rest of the day have been canceled and it is monitoring the situation.
“We continue to monitor the situation and strongly urge people to stay away from campus,” the school said in a statement.
