Campus police arrested five people Sunday and dismantled the pro-Palestine encampment known as the UCSB Liberated Zone.
Two women and three men were taken into custody at about 4 a.m. on suspicion of refusing to disperse after being ordered to leave by an officer, according to Sheriff’s Office jail booking logs.
They were all cited and released.
According to an online post from the UCSB Liberated Zone, the UCSB administration told encampment participants on Friday that they could either decamp and present a contingency plan by Saturday at 5 p.m., or police would intervene and force decampment.
Participants said they had a previous agreement with the administration that they would not leave until all their demands were met.
“This abrupt change in deadline undermines the trust and good faith we have tried to maintain,” representatives said in a statement on Instagram. “It is obvious that the UC Regents want this encampment to be dismantled before Summer Session A begins.”
Summer Session A classes began on Monday.
Administrators reportedly emailed encampment participants at 6:31 p.m. Saturday telling them to remove personal items and leave the encampment immediately.
“We have sought to engage in discussions with you in the hope that our dialogue would result in an agreement that would end the encampment,” UCSB officials said in the statement.
“We now remind you and inform you that the encampment is in violation of UC policies and an illegal trespass.”
Dozens of law enforcement officers reportedly responded and dismantled the encampment early Sunday morning.
Chancellor Henry Yang sent a campus-wide email later on Sunday saying the encampment had become disruptive to students.
“While we respected the right to protest peacefully, the encampment became increasingly disruptive to students who were trying to pursue their educational goals, as well as faculty and staff who support the academic mission of the university,” the statement read.
“There were increased health and safety concerns. Campus and university policies, as well as federal law, require us to maintain a safe environment and workplace free from harassment and intimidation.”
The statement also said that the number of tents and signs had increased since May, and that walls of the library and bathrooms were vandalized.
“We offered the encampment the opportunity to voluntarily disband, but they refused. The university then made the decision to remove the unlawful encampment,” the statement said.
It was signed by Yang, Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshall, and Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services Garry Mac Pherson.
The encampment formed May. 1 in solidarity with other pro-Palestine encampments across the country. In the weeks since then, it expanded to three lawns between North Hall and the library, and had roughly 100 tents and numerous signs.
The UCSB Liberated Zone was the last remaining University of California encampment.
Participants demanded that the university demilitarize, divest from weapons manufacturers, academically boycott Israel, protect free speech, name and acknowledge the violence in Palestine, and reinvest funding into community resources.
UCSB administrators wrote in the Sunday statement that they listened to concerns from students despite many of the group’s demands being outside their jurisdiction.
“Although student demands included actions that are beyond the jurisdiction or control of the campus, that violate UC policy, and that are under the purview of the Academic Senate, we reiterated our commitment to continue and to broaden discussions about the important issues raised by students to involve all interested campus stakeholders, consistent with our democratic culture, the principles of academic freedom, and shared governance,” the statement read.
The lawns were empty as of Monday afternoon, and it was unclear whether the UCSB Liberated Zone participants plan to establish a new encampment.
