About 40 police officers from multiple agencies were part of an operation to clear a UC Santa Barbara building occupied by protesters since Monday.
About 40 police officers from multiple agencies were part of an operation to clear a UC Santa Barbara building occupied by protesters since Monday. Credit: KEYT.com photo

Police from multiple agencies responded to UC Santa Barbara early Wednesday morning to clear a building occupied by protesters referring to themselves as Say Genocide.

About 40 Santa Barbara sheriff’s deputies, UCSB Police, and Ventura County sheriff’s deputies were part of the large-scale police operation that arrived on campus around 1 a.m.. No students were arrested. 

The police operation came two days after protesters occupied and barricaded themselves inside of Givertz Hall and set up a display depicting a war-torn classroom inside. They said they don’t plan to leave until the university acknowledges the war between Israel and Palestine as a genocide of the Palestinian people. 

The occupation disrupted final exams planned for classrooms in that building, Chancellor Henry Yang said in a statement Monday.

In a statement to Noozhawk on Wednesday morning, Kiki Reyes, media relations manager for UCSB said that officers found the building empty upon their arrival.

“Students, staff, and faculty must have full access to our campus to learn, work, and live,” said Reyes. “When the individuals ignored the demand to leave, the university was forced to clear the building. Police arriving at the location found the building vacated but worked to ensure that the classrooms were clear.”

Reyes said that the university is not aware of any arrests and that the classrooms have been abandoned.

As of 11:25 a.m. on Wednesday multiple campus security officers were placed throughout the outside of the building, a few entrances remained taped off and all doors were locked.

Additionally The Arbor, a campus convenience store next to Givertz Hall had signs posted that the store is closed for the day.

Givertz Hall at UCSB.
A group identified as Say Genocide is occupying Givertz Hall at UCSB in support of Palestine. On the ground floor of the building, blinds are open for one classroom, revealing rubble, scattered desks, fake bodies, red paint and the words “Say Genocide.” Credit: Rebecca Caraway / Noozhawk photo

The UCSB administration sent out emergency notifications around 1 a.m. Wednesday, and in the following hours, about the police operation on campus, according to The Daily Nexus, a student-run news organization.

The Daily Nexus reported on X, formally known as Twitter, that police equipped with riot gear surrounded Givertz Hall and began their raid of the building around 2:07 a.m. after issuing a 10-minute warning. 

All entrances into Givertz Hall were taped off with multiple officers standing by. Officers also blocked the North Hall entrance to The Arbor, Nexus reporters said.

A crowd of students and demonstrators gathered near the building during the police presence, according to news reports.

About 30 officers were seen leaving campus around 3:30 a.m. Then at 3:39 a.m., UCSB issued an emergency notification that UCPD had concluded its large-scale police operation at Givertz Hall, according to the Daily Nexus.

A group of campus police officers remained at the scene as of 6 a.m., KEYT reported.

“A clean-up crew could be seen power washing the areas outside of Givertz Hall, washing away messages or images drawn in chalk,” KEYT reported Wednesday morning.

The encampment known as the UCSB Liberated Zone, which was formed May 1, was not part of the building occupation and remains standing on campus.

— Noozhawk staff writer Rebecca Caraway can be reached at rcaraway@noozhawk.com.