UC San Diego students walked out of classes on Wednesday as part of the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
Protesters gathered on Sun God Lawn, holding signs and chanting. They have been protesting the Israel-Hamas war and how the university is handling the student demonstrations.
This comes after tensions flared on Monday as law enforcement cleared a "Gaza Solidarity" encampment on campus and arrested 64 people, 40 of whom were students, according to the university.
“Students are really frustrated and upset with our university’s response to a peaceful protest calling in the sheriff’s office,” Maya, a student, said.
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Among Wednesday's demonstration was a local imam who says he was pepper sprayed during the confrontation earlier this week.
"You point your guns in the faces of students, so I started shaming them and telling them that it's not acceptable, and I was asking them to put their guns away," Taha Hassane with the Islamic Center of San Diego said. "At a certain point, one of the sheriff officers got his pepper spray and sprayed me straight in the eyes and in the face."
The university released a statement responding to Wednesday's demonstration that echoed previous statements, saying the school supports free speech but is committed to safety.
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“Dialogue, free speech and academic freedom are cornerstones of our university and UC San Diego fully supports the right to peacefully protest and express views on campus; however, we are also fully committed to protecting the physical safety of all individuals in our community and upholding the rights of all students, faculty and staff to continue to work, study and carry out the academic mission of the university without undue disruption,” the statement read.
Demonstrators that spoke with NBC 7 said they will continue to protest.
“We would like to see the administration negotiate with us, rather than meet us with that kind of hostile police force,” Maya said.
