Protesters peacefully dispersed after several hundred gathered Wednesday at Ohio State

Unlike last Thursday and what has occurred at many other college campuses nationwide in recent days, several hundred protesters gathered Wednesday held a peaceful demonstration on Ohio State University's South Oval against the Israel-Hamas war and university investment in Israel and then voluntarily dispersed.

As darkness set in across campus and portable banks of flood lights lit up the college green, the crowd began slowly dispersing around 9 p.m. and the demonstration ended before 10 p.m. — the time when police began a mass arrest last Thursday to clear the green of demonstrators.

The protest that began at 6 p.m. at the Ohio Union, soon moved nearby to the South Oval and swelled to more than 700 before it simply self-ended. There was not a repeat of the efforts to establish a tent encampment like last Thursday's anti-Israel protest and there were no major incidents or reports of any arrests.

University spokesman confirmed that there were no arrests at Wednesday's protest.

The Dispatch had several reporters and photographers on scene. Here's how things unfolded in reverse chronological order:

Small crowd lingered as darkness set in

Only a small crowd remained lingering under the temporary flood lights set up on the South Oval. Crews also began moving in and removing trash as chalk messages lined a mostly empty College Avenue.

The protest remained peaceful throughout the evening, with many sitting in a circle, chanting and praying during two of the five Muslim prayer times of the day until organizers urged the crowd to voluntarily disperse. The Dispatch did not witness any arrests Wednesday.

Police, especially OSU police's bike officers, were initially visible, but their presence declined as time went on during the protest.

Law enforcement appears to be monitoring the remaining small groups and monitoring traffic as people disperse. Transport buses for potential arrests were dismissed.

Crowd appears to be voluntarily dispersing

Around 9 p.m., a couple hundred demonstrators remained, although the crowd had thinned considerably and some protesters appeared to be voluntarily dispersing in a slow trickle. Organizers of the event appear to be telling people to stop chanting and to return to their homes.

Dispatch reporters say large groups have been voluntarily departing the South Oval.

At 10 p.m. Thursday, police began issuing orders to disperse that ended in dismantling of the encampment and the arrests of 36 people — 20 unaffiliated with Ohio State and 16 students and others affiliated with the university. Prior to those arrests, five other people were arrested in two separate earlier incidents, bringing the total prior to Wednesday's protest to 41.

Many students, some faculty and others such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR )- Ohio have criticized the university for what they felt was heavy handedness in the dismantling of a small encampment and the arrests last Thursday. It remains to be seen whether that scene will repeat itself Wednesday.

Demonstration Wednesday appears larger than last Thursday

By 8 p.m., the sun was setting and the crowd on the South Oval appeared to be larger than last Thursday, although tents or signs of an encampment — a visible symbol of the student movement at college campuses across the U.S. opposing Israel's attacks that are believed to have killed more than 34,000 Palestinian civilians — had not been placed on the green by demonstrators.

Nor have there been any signs of violence thus far. The only sign of confrontation between protesters and police was when protesters gathered around some OSU bicycle officers close to the rear of the demonstration and asked them to move away so there was room for more protesters. The officers did not move. Two faculty members appeared to help diffuse the momentary situation.

As many 700 people were present on the South Oval, according to Dispatch reporters present. Many chanted, engaged in prayers and waved Palestinian flags. Earlier, demonstrators distributed food amongst themselves.

While there was a police presence, some of the officers on bicycles had left the immediate area of the protest.

Within the first 30 minutes of the protest, bike police and protesters after protestors asked police on bicycles to move from where they were, which was right up against the human circle formed on campus. After police refused to move, the protesters eventually moved their circle away from police.

Students, faculty and community members march at OSU

Around 6 p.m. at the start of the protest, more than 100 students, faculty and other people gathered outside the Ohio Union and began chanting, "Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest!" A handful of OSU professors attended the demonstration in their academic regalia like that worn at commencement. Spring commencement is Sunday at Ohio Stadium, with some 12,000 expected to receive diplomas.

Around 6:15 the demonstrators, whose numbers were swelling, moved onto the same part of the South Oval that had been the site of the mass arrests last Thursday. Protesters were peaceful and demonstrated under the watchful eye of a heavy Ohio State police and Ohio State Highway Patrol presence.

Jill Galvan, an OSU English professor, said allegations of anti-Semitism in the campus protest movement are often vague accusations that lack specifics.

"The students are aware of Palestine and are horrified," Galvan said. "They want to peacefully protest and speak for Palestinians."

Demonstrators begin to gather Wednesday on South Oval

Several dozen demonstrators had begun to gather around the Ohio Union student building before the scheduled 6 p.m. start time.

There was also a heavy law enforcement presence around the South Oval and all parking lots near the green appear to have been closed.

Ohio State locks buildings around the Oval in anticipation of protests

In anticipation of the protests, Office of Administration and Planning spokesman Dan Hedman sent an email to occupants of select university buildings around the Oval that there will be limited access to the buildings on Wednesday. Buildings will be locked and only accessible to staff via Buck ID access.

"We are taking this measure out of an abundance of caution to enhance the safety and ensure the business of the university continues uninterrupted," the email said.

How many people were arrested at Ohio State's protests?

Wednesday's demonstrations comes on the heels of a week of on-campus protests and arrests.

On April 23, two Ohio State students were arrested during a peaceful on-campus protest. The next day, three more people were arrested on campus after students tried to set up an encampment on the South Oval. Then, on Thursday night, 36 people were arrested — 16 people affiliated with OSU and 20 unaffiliated — after nearly six hours of chants, prayers and reconstruction of tents.

More: Columbus City Attorney says he's reviewing Ohio State protest arrest cases

Ohio State President Ted Carter said in a stern email Monday afternoon that the university "will not be overtaken" by protests as other campuses have across the country.

"As a public university, demonstrations, protests and disagreement regularly occur on our campus — so much so that we have trained staff and public safety professionals on-site for student demonstrations for safety and to support everyone’s right to engage in these activities," Carter said.

"Sadly, in recent days, I have watched significant safety issues be created by encampments on other campuses across our nation," he continued. "These situations have caused in-person learning and commencement ceremonies to be canceled. Ohio State’s campus will not be overtaken in this manner."

Ohio State wrapped up the academic year on Tuesday with the end of spring semester exam week. Commencement is scheduled for Sunday at Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State among other college campuses protesting the war in Gaza

College students from coast to coast have been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and demanding their schools divest from Israel since last year's Oct. 7 attack. But tensions heightened over the two weeks after more than a hundred students were arrested at Columbia University.

Tent encampments on college campuses have become a visible symbol of a student movement that has spread nationwide, from elite universities like Harvard University to public schools similar to OSU like the University of Texas at Austin.

Campus protests: Violence erupts at UCLA protest; police in riot gear called in: Live updates

Police in riot gear swept onto the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, early Wednesday, hours after New York City police retook control of an administrative building at Columbia University as opposition to Israel's war in Gaza continued to roll through universities across the nation, USA Today reported.

In Ohio, police at Case Western Reserve University detained 22 protesters in support of Palestine during demonstrations earlier this week. None of those individuals were ultimately arrested. Students and faculty at Denison University in Granville held a protest Tuesday calling on the university to divest.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State protesters want end to Israel investment, halt to war