UC San Diego is increasing security and advising students and faculty to consider taking alternative routes Wednesday to avoid areas of campus where supporters of Palestine will hold demonstrations over the war in Gaza.
“Employee supervisors and faculty are reminded that they can consider remote operations in accordance with their usual protocol,” the university also said in its community bulletin.
UCSD did not say who is staging the protests. But the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine has said on Instagram that it plans to hold “the biggest protest in UCSD history” that afternoon.
The group is also scheduled to appear before UCSD’s Associated Students that evening to ask the board to decide not to spend any of its roughly $7 million budget on companies it says support Israel.
“Your tuition funds genocide. We are demanding divestment,” SJP said in its Instagram post. The group is active in the movement that calls for boycott, divestment and sanctions of Israel, known as BDS, for its treatment of Palestinians.
The university said that demonstrations will be held in the areas of Sun God Lawn and Library Walk, two of the busiest spots on campus.
“We’re not able (to) comment on specific (security) measures, but the university will have an increased presence as the safety of our campus is always a top priority,” said Matt Nagel, a UCSD spokesperson.
Some members of the Jewish community have expressed anxiety about the protests, said Karren Parry, the executive director of Hillel of San Diego. “We are pushing the UCSD administration to do everything possible to maintain a safe environment, including increasing security.”
Chancellor Pradeep Khosla declined a request Monday to discuss the matter with the San Diego Union-Tribune.
