California: Police dismantle anti-Israel encampment from UC Santa Cruz campus

Police cleared out the encampment of anti-Israel protesters on the UC Santa Cruz campus this Friday. In this operation to evacuate part of the university campus, law enforcement made at least 80 arrests.

Pro-Palestine protesters had been taking over public spaces at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) for several days. According to ABC 7, the California State Police along with other local forces evacuated protesters from the university campus. Anti-Israel protesters had put up barricades around their camp to prevent police from getting in and clearing them out, which is what ultimately occurred this Friday.

The group of protesters demanded that the university take a series of measures against the State of Israel. Some of their requests were antisemitic, such as those that called for ending relations with organizations that support Jewish students. According to university officials, protesters also prevented an emergency vehicle from accessing campus to respond to a medical emergency.

According to UCSC Deputy Vice Chancellor Scott Hernández-Jason, who spoke with ABC 7, police arrested about 80 protesters after making their way into the encampment. Footage released by independent media shows the police surrounding the camp while protesters resisted arrest.

The police operation came after negotiations between the campus administration and protesters were unsuccessful. In an email to the university community, Chancellor Cynthia Larive said protesters ignored the university’s requests to voluntarily disband the encampments and instead "sought conflict, actively escalating tensions within our university community. harming those who are simply trying to learn, teach, and do their jobs in support of our educational mission.”