UC Santa Cruz students protesting on campus for peace in the Middle East

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV)- UC Santa Cruz students marched on campus on Wednesday afternoon as part of protests regarding the Israel-Hamas War.

The protest was organized as a May Day march and rally organized by UC Santa Cruz students and faculty.

This comes as protests have been happening around the country including 25 students getting arrested at Cal Poly Humboldt.

More than 100 students and faculty members protested this Wednesday afternoon on UC Santa Cruz campus.

The march started at the Science and Engineering library, Science Hill, and ended at Cowell Courtyard.

“As a Jewish person during a genocide, it is our responsibility to speak up and speak out against ethnic cleansing and genocide, and say not in our name," Sasha Stetler a junior at UC Santa Cruz.

Professors such as Fernando Levia think it is necessary for staff to support the movement on campus.

“I think it’s only normal and necessary for us as faculty to support the growing movement across us colleges," Fernando L Leviaa Latin American and Latino Studies professor said.

May day is to remember and celebrate workers who fight for our rights, welfare, and societal change. As protesters gathered together at Cowell Courtyard you can see others setting up a camp.

Students say they don't want their tuition dollars funded to the war.

“As students to make it known to the university that we do not want our tuition dollars funding this genocide and that our university is here to support us and our education and not the US war machine and not the murder of the Palestinian people.”

Students and staff held Pro-Palestinian signs as they marched through campus. A Palestinian student, Michelle Ahwal spoke out.

“I have grown up with this my whole life. People think that this is something new happening," Michelle Ahwal said. “I have seen my grandparents, aunts, uncles, dad and mom, that has all gone through this pain and suffering for the Palestinian people.”

KION reached out to the assistance vice chancellor Scott Hernandez Jason.

In a statement, “the safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. we are actively monitoring this situation to support a campus environment that supports our community’s right to free expression while also allowing our teaching and research mission to continue," Hernandez Jason said.

Encampments are set up on Cowell Courtyard which is happening on campuses all across the country as they march for the war in Gaza.