A group of roughly two dozen University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) officers have separated competing groups of protesters on the center of the main quad.

Earlier in the afternoon, a group of counterprotesters holding American flags formed on the east side of the quad, opposite the UChicago United for Palestine (UCUP) encampment. UCUP began a rally at around 12:30 p.m. As the two groups of demonstrators shouted competing chants, the group holding American flags began walking towards the encampment.

As the two groups met in the center of the quad, the University sent out a cAlert, used to notify University members of emergencies, to avoid the main quad because there had been “reports of physical altercations.”

The UCPD officers in riot gear entered the quad and began separating the two groups of demonstors in the center of the quad. Protesters with UCUP began holding makeshift shields of plastic and wood in the direction of the UCPD and the counterprotesters.

The Maroon estimates that roughly 1,000 people have gathered around the center of the quad.

This story is developing. Follow along with live updates.