Person arrested and removed from pro-Palestinian camp at UC Irvine – Orange County Register

People work on their laptops at a pro-Palestinian camp set up at UC Irvine on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Irvine, California. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

UC Irvine campus police arrested a person who exhibited “erratic behavior” and got into an altercation with members of a pro-Palestinian camp, officials said.

According to a statement from the university, the person, whose age and gender were not disclosed, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of illegal camping and expelled from campus.

“The individual had joined an unsanctioned encampment set up on campus property but had no connection to the student protesters or other non-members who attended the encampment,” the UC Irvine statement said.

“The individual exhibited erratic behavior, including a physical altercation with members of the encampment, and continued to pose a danger to residents of the encampment as well as general members of the campus community. The individual was arrested outside of the unauthorized encampment,” the university continued.

“Earlier this week, members of Be Well OC’s Mobile Crisis Response Team, a team dedicated to responding to mental health-related calls and providing direct psychological assistance, were dispatched to the site. The individual declined any services from the Be Well OC team,” the statement concluded.

Earlier this week, school officials said the encampment, located near Rowland Hall, “continues to be peaceful, although we are seeing reports of students expressing concerns about discrimination and harassment, as well as reports of disruptive protests that have occurred.” disrupting teaching and taking exams. “There have been some reports of vandalism and there is a wider spread of messages across university campuses this afternoon.”