Eight protesters arrested Thursday morning at California Polytechnic University SLO

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Eight people were arrested Thursday morning after protesters chained themselves together across the California Boulevard entrance to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's campus.

Cal Poly Police alongside law enforcement from multiple other local agencies responded to the scene and issued a dispersal order, citing the protest as illegal by blocking the roadway explained Assistant Vice President for Communications and Media Relations for Cal Poly, Matt Lazier in response to your News Channel's inquiries.

The featured image above, provided by California Highway Patrol San Luis Obispo area, shows two of the protesters with a sign stating, "Stop funding Genocide" with a depiction of what appears to be the official flag of Palestine.

According to Cal Poly's Communications staff, when protesters declined to leave the roadway, police arrested them and removed them from the roadway.

Four of those arrested are students of Cal Poly, one is a faculty member, and the other three people are not affiliated with the university detailed Cal Poly Communications.

"Cal Poly supports lawful protests and demonstrations but will not tolerate illegal activity. As a state institution, the university is obligated uphold the First Amendment rights of all campus community members in a content-neutral manner and when in accordance with the law and university policies. Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all campus community members and visitors is a priority for the university, and Cal Poly will fully enforce the laws and rules governing its campus to maintain that standard. Anyone who jeopardizes or undermines that through unlawful activity or violations of university policy is subject to the consequences of their actions. These standards were not created by the university but are simply the basic rules of society by which we all live."

Matt Lazier, Assistant Vice President for Communications and Media Relations for Cal Poly