Due to the ongoing occupation of at least two buildings, the California State Polytechnic University's Humboldt campus will be closed and transitioned to a remote format for the remainder of the semester, the school said in a statement Friday.
"Campus is now closed through May 10, and work and academic instruction will be remote as individuals continue to occupy Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East," read the statement.
Protesters have attempted "several times to break into multiple locked buildings with the intention of either locking themselves in, vandalizing, or stealing equipment," the statement added.
Demonstrators were given until 5 p.m. Friday to leave with a guarantee of no immediate arrest, reported CNN.
The students involved in the protest have characterized their demonstration as a gesture of solidarity with Palestinians. The protesters are demanding the university sever all ties with Israel, including the study abroad program at an Israeli university, and calling for the university to issue an official call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The group, "Occupy Cal Poly Humboldt," released a statement of their own Friday via social media pushing back on the administration's narrative.
The University of Southern California in Los Angeles has cancelled its main commencement ceremony next month due to pro-Palestinian protests, and Columbia University students fear the same might happen there.
