TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Florida) held a news conference Thursday to condemn the University of South Florida's decision to involve law enforcement during pro-Palestinian protests this week.

Ten people were arrested Tuesday after tear gas was deployed to break up a group of protesters who had been told to leave the scene.

One student speaker Thursday described students as scared for their lives.

Thursday's developments came as students prepared for graduation, with many wearing caps and gowns and taking photos of school landmarks like the Bull and the Fountain.

There were no demonstrations Thursday, but many are still standing firmly behind their cause when it comes to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“I couldn’t see where I was going, but I heard people screaming," USF student Alina Atiq said Thursday as she described Tuesday evening's scene. "I heard the cops on their bikes chasing them down. I heard rubber bullets hitting flesh. I heard helicopters swarming the air, and I ran for dear life.”

Atiq is a lead organizer with the USF Divest Coalition, which has been urging the university to divest from companies supporting Israel's war effort in Gaza.

The movement is sweeping college campuses across the nation.

Tents had to be approved at Tuesday's protest, and while the school said there were no applications for tents, many were set up anyway.

Shortly before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, law enforcement moved in on tents and umbrellas, dispersing those who had refused to leave.

CAIR-Florida Policy Manager Mari Marks said the continued focus on student encampments, rather than why students are protesting in the first place, is ignoring the issue at hand. 

“This is not about tents, this is about saving lives," Marks said.

USF reiterated Thursday to Spectrum News that it will not divest and that has been its policy.