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Police dismantle UC San Diego encampment on campus, arrest protestors

UC San Diego Police reported that 64 arrests were made during the dismantling of the illegal encampment on campus.
The large police presence on the UCSD campus began Monday morning breaking down the tents and taking people away in custody.

SAN DIEGO — Protesters and police continued to clash long after law enforcement dismantled the UC San Diego "Gaza Solidarity" encampment, which began last week on the campus' Library Walk, and made arrests Monday.  

Early Monday morning, a large police presence was seen surrounding the encampment. Student protesters were seen being taken away by police in custody in handcuffs or zip ties and processed.

UC San Diego Police reported that 64 arrests were made during the dismantling of the illegal encampment on campus. Of those arrested, 40 were current students and 24 were unaffiliated with the University or their status is unknown. 

Classes at UC San Diego as expected to resume as normally scheduled Tuesday at 6:00 a.m.

WATCH: Live coverage from UC San Diego at 11 a.m. Monday, May 6

The students that were arrested have been placed under immediate interim suspension according to the UC San Diego Communications Dept. 

The law enforcement group that cleared out the camp included officers from the University of California San Diego Police, CHP and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

WATCH: Some protesters released from jail following UC San Diego encampment removal and arrests

After the encampment was broken down a new group began to form on campus directly across from the law enforcement officers around 7 a.m.  Law enforcement set up a barrier and stood face-to-face with the group. Police eventually backed away from the barrier and the protesters took it down and moved near the building where the students taken into custody earlier were believed to be held.

The large group chanted "We're students united, we'll never be defeated" and "Let them go" just outside the doors where law enforcement could be seen standing just inside with the people in custody before transporting them to the San Diego Central Jail.

WATCH: Large group gathers on UC San Diego campus after encampment dismantled, arrests made

UC San Diego's Chancellor Pradeep Khosla had been calling on student protesters to disperse where Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have been camped out for six days on campus. 

An announcement made Monday morning moved all classes to remote modality effective immediately, "out of an abundance of caution in light of current circumstances".

The Chancellor said in a statement last week that the tents were a 'violation of campus policy, which prohibits unauthorized encampments.'

By the end of the week, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said the encampment had tripled in size and there was an increase in violent clashes. On Sunday, a pro-Israel group marched past the encampment. 

The group "Students for Justice in Palestine" responded to the Chancellor's statement saying they're disappointed but not surprised. They previously said they plan to continue camping until UC San Diego cuts ties with companies connected to Israel.

WATCH: Police dismantle UC San Diego encampment, arrest protesters on campus

Sunday was the fifth day of the pro-Palestinian encampment on the UC San Diego campus protesting the Israel-Hamas war. A pro-Israel group also marched through showing their solidarity with Israel. 

"Show that we want to stand together and be proud of who we are, not cower in the name of antisemitism that we're surrounded by every day and we want to stand united as a community," said Jacob, a UC San Diego student.

Israel supporters say they want their voices heard especially as Sunday was Holocaust Remembrance Day.

"You wanna free people from Gaza free them from their government from Hamas. where is that money going? Israel gives humanitarian aid where is that money going," said Liza Tacher, a pro-Israel supporter.

The pro-Palestinian supporters began building their encampment on campus last Wednesday.

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