Protesters started at Langson Library before passing by the Science Library, the engineering lecture hall and the social ecology school.

While no large counter-protest ensued, one man stood off to the side and quietly held up mini Israel and American flags.

Former UCI economics professor Ami Glazer, who retired in 2020, said he came to show support for Israel. The rally on campus was not a pro-Palestinian protest, he said, but an anti-Israel one.

“I don’t see any message regarding a two-state solution, which I would favor. They hate Israel and Jews,” said Glazer, motioning toward the crowd.

On Thursday, protesters called Israel a “settler state” and said a revolution is the only solution to “free Palestine.”

Demonstrators marched past two Starbucks, where they stopped in front to chant “Starbucks, Starbucks, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.”

Many pro-Palestinian advocates have boycotted the giant coffeehouse chain amid the war in the Middle East because of its alleged support of Israel. But Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan has said that “narratives get shaped by external voices disconnected from the brand” and that the company “stands for humanity.”

On Thursday, similar demonstrations formed on the Westwood campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. And USC announced it is canceling its main stage commencement ceremony.

But at UC Irvine, graduation will be business as usual, Vasich said.

“Our commencement is in June, a very different story (from USC),” he said.

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