Deputies arrive at UC Irvine after protesters set up tents on campus

IRVINE, Calif. — As pro-Palestinian protests at UC Irvine grew Monday, about 30 Orange County Sheriff’s deputies set up for a potential response, some carrying batons and face shields.

To date, recent protests at the school have been marked by minimal police intervention and no violence.

The arrival of deputies at UCI came after some 50 protesters pitched about a dozen tents near the school’s Physical Sciences Classroom building, with a goal of spending the night.

Between chants of “free Palestine,” students said early Monday that they planned to host speakers throughout the day. Later, when they heard that the school administration might move to take down the tents — something that could not be confirmed — students called on UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman’s office to “politely and firmly demand” a stop to what they termed a “heavy-handed” plan.

A bystander, Amal Alkalla, an Irvine resident and mother of a UC Irvine student, said she was on hand simply to ensure that students remain safe.

“The goal is for this country to be a true broker for peace,” Alkalla said.

Like many similar student protests around the country, the students want UCI administration to take a side in the Israel Hamas War.

Since Oct. 7, when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 766 civilians and 373 security personnel, as well as taking an estimated 253 people hostage, Israel’s military response against militants and civilians in the Gaza Strip has raised an international outcry. At least 34,000 Palestinians, most civilians, have been killed and conditions in the Gaza Strip have become dire, with food, clean water and medical care in short supply.

Those events have sparked protests around the country, many of which involve students calling on Israel to end its military response.

At UCI, on Monday, students posted a sign at the encampment with a list of their demands. Specifically, students want the school to stop investing in Israeli businesses, and they want full transparency and control of future investments. They also called for amnesty for all student protesters, though it’s unclear if students face any punishment for their actions.

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