A university spokesperson on day four of the Gaza-solidarity encampment at UC Irvine said Thursday morning, May 2, there were no updates on whether the university will take further action regarding the protest in light of the overnight dismantling of the encampment at UCLA.

As of early afternoon Thursday, the situation at UCI appeared to be very calm, the only loud noise coming from a helicopter circling above the encampment.

Also on Thursday morning, an encampment formed at nearby Chapman University in Orange. By early afternoon, eight tents had been pitched and about 50 people, mostly students, were within the encampment’s perimeter in front of Wilkinson Hall. There was no visible campus security presence.

UCI students and protesters, who are calling for the university to divest itself from businesses with ties to Israeli and weapon manufacturers, huddled inside the barricaded encampment zone on that campus  while just a handful of reporters walked around and several TV cameras pointed at them. The students also want the university to grant amnesty for demonstrators.

Thursday’s program consists of speakers, prayers, teach-ins, arts and crafts and chanting throughout the day, said Sarah Khalil, a student organizer. Close to 2 p.m., the first chants of “Free Palestine” to a drumbeat rang out from within the encampment.

On Friday, a local doctor who traveled to Gaza for two weeks is scheduled to visit the encampment and talk to students.

Tentatively scheduled for later Thursday is a meeting with school administrators regarding the protesters’ demands, Khalil said. “We put our demands on the table and told them that we are not leaving until those demands are met.”

When asked whether she feels the UCI protest is making a dent in the nationwide student movement, Khalil said what the students care about is that their demands are being met by administration.

“If that means less eyes on us compared to other schools, that doesn’t matter as much,” she said.

University officials in an earlier message to those participating had said students and staff who voluntarily leave the encampment “will not face discipline.”

At UCLA,  police in riot gear dismantled the massive encampment set up by pro-Palestinian protesters outside Royce Hall. Dozens of people were detained.

But Khalil said she’s not scared should a similar event unfold on her campus.

“I’m not scared because I know what I’m doing is right, that I’m here for the right reasons,” she said.

In Irvine, however, there were less than 10 campus police and private security seen walking around monitoring the encampment Thursday.

Campus police early Thursday afternoon informed students that more large camping supplies including wood pallets cannot come into the encampment and that they may be cited if that rule is broken.

Check back for updates.

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