Supporters of Israel rallied face-to-face Sunday afternoon with protesters occupying an encampment for Palestine on the UC San Diego campus.
Hundreds of people marched by the encampment, carrying Israeli flags and signs supporting hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Members of the pro-Palestinian group formed a human wall around the camp when the counter-protestors arrived.
The event remained peaceful.
It happened shortly after UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla issued a statement to staff and students saying the encampment poses serious safety and security hazards.
Khosla wrote that the university "strongly supports the right to free expression," but said the encampment violates law and campus policy. He called on those in the encampment to peacefully disperse, but did not give a deadline for that to take place. Read Khosla's full statement here.
The encampment has grown since students assembled Wednesday afternoon, demanding UCSD divest from its Israeli financial interests. It has been organized by student members of the UCSDivest Coalition, with a rotating group of students, faculty members, and pro-Palestinian people from the community.
A few hundred including community activists have committed to continue their occupation until the university meets their demands.
The protest has included several scheduled "teach-in" sessions to educate participants and passersby on the war and historical context of the Middle East conflict.
"I know that a lot of us think that police and administration are here to maybe try to keep us safe. But they're also gathering evidence to try to take this encampment down," said Lilly Irani, a UC San Diego associate professor of communication whose family is from Iran.
Irani came to the encampment Sunday to speak about surveillance techniques she said are used by law enforcement and social media platforms.
She encouraged students to continue direct conversations that can not be monitored through technology.
“We're able to talk to each other and have nuanced dialogues about how we're going to end this suffering, and none of that would be possible in social media," Irani said. "It would all be surveilled. I want to thank the students here for showing us how we need to communicate if we're going to actually liberate people."
Rabbi Mendel Polichenco of Chabad Carmel Valley was among the supporters of Israel. He said, "Let them (Hamas) return the citizens, the innocent civilians and babies that are kidnapped, and then we can talk about common ground."
The group carrying Israeli flags included many families with their children. Lisa Sidauy, a Jewish Mexican American, brought her young son to the pro-Israel Solidarity rally.
"I am here today because there is no reason why we should be receiving so much hatred. We are here in peace to show our support for Jewish people around the world," Siduay said.
