University of South Florida police said 10 people were arrested after law enforcement deployed tear gas in a clash with pro-Palestinian protesters on Tuesday.
In a statement, USF said around 75-100 protesters, including some not affiliated with the university, arrived at the Tampa campus in the morning with items like wooden shields, umbrellas and tents.
"As the day progressed, police observed participants in person and through social media expressing their intent to use some of the items they brought on campus as weapons and to resist university staff members and law enforcement officers. As a result, USF police determined that the protest was no longer peaceful, and participants must leave the area," the USF statement read, in part.
Dozens of students were seen using umbrellas as shields Tuesday evening as they stood in a circle with their arms locked. USF Police Chief Christopher Daniel claimed the protesters were “interlocking their arms in unison as a show of force."
The police chief also said the group used their wooden shields "to fortify their circle to prevent law enforcement from getting past."
At about 4:55 p.m., police gave students a 15-minute warning, informing them they would be subject to tear gas and rubber bullets if they did not leave.
Police were heard giving demonstrators several orders to disperse over a loudspeaker around 5:10 p.m., declaring the protest an "unlawful assembly" and notifying students they were under arrest for refusing to disperse.
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