Pro-Palestinian protest on UA campus ends in tear gas, rubber bullets, arrests. What's next?

A pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Arizona and subsequent protests turned into clashes with law enforcement as officers used pepper balls and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd of more than 100 people early Wednesday morning.

The encampment came as part of a national wave of student action in solidarity with Gaza following the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University saw student protests ending in arrests in the last week, as well.

The Students Against Apartheid, the group behind the UA protests, decried the violence in Gaza and called for the university to end its partnership with local arms manufacturers including Raytheon, for providing weapons for Israel. Raytheon is the largest private employer in Tucson.

What occurred during the protests?

University officials ordered police to enforce campus policies "without further warning" at around 2 a.m. Wednesday and clear the encampment which had gathered between 50 to 70 people since 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Hundreds more gathered in the street to protest or observe the confrontation between police, protesters and counter-protesters.

As police tried to clear the encampment, college students stood on benches, and fences, egging on police and protesters.

The university's statement came after police asked protesters to leave at least a dozen times in the hours leading up to the clash, warning them they could face arrest and be subject to the use of chemical munition.

As protesters in the encampment, joined the crowd on Park Avenue, the street that butted up to the university and encampment, police and state troopers dressed in riot gear, along with Pima Regional SWAT pushed the crowd to the north shooting pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Protesters, led by the Students Against Apartheid, chanted "We keep us safe" as they linked arms in a standoff with law enforcement. Screams were heard as law enforcement pushed the group back, shot pepper spray and rubber bullets into the crowd, and grabbed people to arrest them. The organizing group reported four people were arrested, including two students and two community members. Shortly after 2:30 a.m. officials announced the area around North Park Avenue and University Boulevard was cleared.

The encampment organizers condemned the use of police force Wednesday morning.

"Such misdirected aggression, exacerbated by the brutalization of involved protesters was a heinous betrayal of student rights," said Harlow Parkin a member of Students Against Apartheid and a freshman at the university. "We are appalled. The administration will be held accountable for their errors."

Catch up: University of Arizona students stage campus walkout to support Gaza

What's next for UA protesters?

The coalition Students Against Apartheid, the group that organized the encampment, said the four people arrested were released later Wednesday morning and some of them needed medical attention, although university officials said there were no significant injuries to students, faculty or law enforcement.

The student coalition, which also includes community members and university staff, initially said that the group expected to meet with university administration Wednesday morning to address the group's demands.

However, that meeting did not occur. The group told The Arizona Republic that plans for another meeting were underway.

According to the university, four people were arrested. Three of the people were booked on charges of criminal trespassing and another was booked on criminal trespass and aggravated assault against a peace officer. Two of the detainees were students, a graduate and undergraduate student while the other two were not affiliated with the university.

Tuesday's encampment came one day after protests and another encampment sprouted in the center of the university, on a grassy stretch of land called the Mall.

University of Arizona President Robert Robbins released a statement Wednesday saying Monday's protests lacked authorization and violated campus use policies.

"Out of a desire to avoid escalation, University administrators engaged in dialogue with protest organizers," said the president in the statement, noting administrators allowed the protesters to stay until 10:30 p.m. to avoid escalation and without instructing law enforcement to disperse the group.

Tuesday's encampment was also unauthorized, Robbins said, noting that the students stole fencing from a university construction site to help build the encampment.

As the night went on, the number of protesters grew, and law enforcement asked the group to leave over several hours. Protesters threw water bottles at officers and reportedly chanted "If you come in, we will fight you," Robbins said.

Protesters resisted arrest and continued to throw "projectiles" at law enforcement, Robbins said, noting that counter-protesters and protesters created a "volatile" environment on Park Avenue leading law enforcement to clear the street.

UA bans unauthorized gatherings, allows police to respond without warning

Robbins outlined new policies in response to Wednesday morning's unrest. Beginning Wednesday and running through May 15 the university will enforce campus use policies including prohibiting all non-permitted shade coverings including canopies and tents.

The university will also prohibit event and large gatherings without a permit authorized in advance. All permit requests will be reviewed by the Office of Public Safety.

University police will take a "zero-tolerance approach" to enforce campus use policy meaning police can respond without issuing a warning, Robbins said.

What are the students demands?

The encampment came as part of a national wave of student action in solidarity with students in Gaza following the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

In addition to calling on the university to end its partnership with local arms manufacturers, Students Against Apartheid also called for the university to "support their right to free speech" and drop charges against the people arrested. The group also asked the university to condemn the "excessive use of force by law enforcement."

Here are the demands Students Against Apartheid listed for the University of Arizona:

• Publicly condemn Israel’s “genocidal campaign” and call for a permanent ceasefire.

• Disclose financial connections to Israel and weapons manufacturers.

• Divest from all companies “profiting from the occupation of Palestine.”

• Immediately dismiss members of the dean’s advisory board in the College of Engineering with connections to Israeli company Elbit Systems, Raytheon, Caterpillar and Intel Corporation.

• Cease surveillance on student organizers and shutting down of student groups.

• Refuse to enforce HB2759 which prohibits public universities from recognizing a student organization that supports “a foreign terrorist organization,” according to the bill.

• Cease financial support for cultural and academic institutions affiliated with Israel, including study abroad programs.

• Defund the UA Police Department

• End association with the National Center for Border Security and Immigration

Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republic’s coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What to know about pro-Palestinian protest at University of Arizona