ORLANDO, Fla. — As protests roil college campuses nationwide, University of Central Florida students and local activists rallied Friday afternoon in solidarity with Palestinians and against the war in Gaza.

More than 200 gathered in front of the John C. Hitt Library, many carrying Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs as they called for an end to hostilities in the Gaza Strip and liberation of what are considered occupied territories. The protests were largely orderly and no arrests were reported.

Reem Elkhaldi, a Palestinian American attorney who runs Gaza-based nonprofit Healing Our Homeland, remembered losing loved ones in the latest escalation to the conflict.

“The status quo is disgusting,” Elkhaldi said. “The people of Gaza are more than just numbers. They are my family.”

Protesters marched from the library and twice circled the Student Union, their numbers growing as it continued. The chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” echoed through the crowd along with calls for UCF to divest from what organizers say are companies that benefit Israel. The chant is regarded by some as antisemitic.

Marchers were escorted by police on bicycles — who at one point kept a small group of counterprotesters at bay. But the march ended without incident.

“We’re not fighting among ourselves,” said Lamia Moukaddam, a Lebanese American activist. “We are fighting for the people of Gaza.”

The protest is among the latest on college campuses across the nation since a Hamas terror attack on Israel, killing an estimated 1,200, led to Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is headquartered. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have died, prompting many in the international community to accuse Israel of war crimes.

Student demonstrators have called on universities across the country to divest from companies and investments that they say profit off Israeli violence in Palestinian territories. The effort aims to pressure the Israeli government similar to actions taken against apartheid-era South Africa.

“We don’t have a fully fleshed-out campaign yet, but we are fully planning to do more research and building a divest campaign coalition,” said Liam Gundy, an organizer with the Young Democratic Socialists of America designated as a point person for reporters at the UCF rally.

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