Police move in to clear encampment at UC Irvine – NBC Los Angeles

The University of California, Irvine has sent out an alert advising students to avoid the area after a pro-Palestinian protest escalated on campus Wednesday.

At 8:25 p.m., UC Irvine released an update in a social media post announcing that classes would be held remotely on Thursday.

“zotALERT UC Irvine will transition to remote learning on Thursday, May 16th. Unless specifically stated otherwise, all employees should work remotely. On-site students will continue to have access to dining facilities. The protest activities continue. Please avoid the area until further notice. https://emergency. uci.edu,” said UC Irvine on X.

According to campus police, 200 protesters cordoned off the physical sciences lecture hall, resulting in the closure of the area around the camp.

“zotALERT: Protest has escalated near Physical Science Quad. Avoid the area. For your safety, if you are in the area, please shelter in place until further notice,” UCI said in a post on its Instagram Story.

There are currently no classes in session and no classes are scheduled for that day, campus police said.

At 5:57 p.m., UC Irvine sent another warning advising students in the area to leave the area.

“zotALERT: Anyone currently in buildings near the protest is advised to vacate the buildings and leave the area. Please ignore all previous instructions to shelter in place. If possible, please leave immediately and avoid the protest area until further notice,” UC Irvine said on X.

Campus police requested assistance from law enforcement, but Irvine police said this incident was a campus matter and said they would be at designated locations in the area to provide assistance.

The buildings adjacent to the lecture hall were also sealed off.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.