The University of California Irvine advised students to “leave” the area and buildings near where pro-Palestinian protesters were holding their protest.
Prior to this statement, the university had issued a statement advising students and faculty to “shelter in place.”
The university explained that around 2:30 p.m., hundreds of protesters took over the “Physical Sciences Lecture Hall” and surrounded the building, blocking the entrance and piling tents on top of each other in an attempt to make a barrier, according to ABC7 News.
Protesters could be heard chanting, “Free, free Palestine” and “The students united will never be defeated,” according to video footage posted to X.
BREAKING: The University of California Irvine looks like a war zone after hours of protests and a building occupation. pic.twitter.com/vDpWef2nJt
— Stu (@thestustustudio) May 16, 2024
Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan issued a statement on X in which she said it was “a shame that peaceful free speech protests are always responded to with violence.”
“Taking space on campus or in a building is not a threat to anyone,” Khan wrote. “UCI leadership must do everything they can to avoid creating a violent scenario here. These are your students w/ zero weapons.”
Breitbart News reached out to the University of California Irvine for a statement but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
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