Civil Disturbance

Civil Disturbance

On a dynamic, engaged campus like UC Merced, individuals or groups of people will exercise their right to free speech and assembly. The greatest concern in the event of an escalated civil disturbance is the potential impact on the safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

General Guidelines for Civil Disturbance/ Protest:

• Report any suspicious behavior or unauthorized persons in your building or on campus to the UC Merced Police Department non-emergency line at CATCOPS or 209-228-2677.
• Avoid the area of disturbance.
• Avoid provoking or obstructing the demonstrators.
• Stay away from glass doors or windows.
  • If a class or lecture is disrupted, the offending person(s) should be asked to leave.
• If you are instructed to evacuate, and it is safe to do so, secure your work area, log off computers, and secure sensitive files.
  • Follow Evacuation Procedures, proceed to your Evacuation Assembly Area, and wait for further instructions.

If a protest or civil disturbance develops in the immediate vicinity of the campus or encroaches onto UC Merced property:

• If it is safe to do so, leave your building and the vicinity of there the disturbance is occurring.
• If Public Safety (Fire, Police, EMS) directs students, faculty, staff, and visitors to remain indoors, refer to the Shelter-in-Place and Lock-Down Procedures
• DO NOT attempt to confront or talk with the individuals causing the disturbance. The appropriate campus personnel and/or Public Safety personnel will handle any interaction with the individuals involved.

If instructed to leave campus or UC Merced property:

• Carpool Members: Contact your carpool member(s) immediately.
• Drive carefully. Extra caution is required any time you are excited, worried, or distracted by an emergency.
• Watch for bicycles, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles.
• Expect traffic backups and delays, be patient.
• Follow traffic directions from Public Safety or safety/traffic personnel.
• If normal exits are blocked, you will be directed to an alternate route.
• Traffic signals might not be working, use 4-way stop signs traffic rule.
• If you are in doubt whether to report back to campus, call you phone tree contact or supervisor.
• For campus information:
  • Go to the UC Merced Emergency website at emergency.ucmerced.edu.
  • Call the Emergency Status Line at 866-993-0969