A video with more than 3 million views has sparked an investigation at the University of California, Irvine. 

In a tweet to followers, UCI announced Sunday that the university was aware of a video showing a blue Jeep striking protesters in Visalia, California, during a weekend of protests against police brutality across the nation. The announcement comes after Twitter users began identifying the Jeep’s owner as a potential UC Irvine student and demanding the university address the allegations.

It is unclear if the owner of the Jeep was driving the vehicle at the time.

“We are aware of the incident in Visalia, CA on May 30 possibly involving a student from UCI. We are deeply alarmed by the footage and condemn any acts of violence, which is in opposition to our core values of mutual respect and opposition. The matter has been forwarded to the appropriate campus authorities for review,” the university tweeted on May 31. 

The video, which began circulating on social media Saturday, gained more 3 million views in less than 24 hours. The scene has similar characteristics to other videos posted from this weekend’s anti-police brutality demonstrations which erupted in other parts of the country, to protest the death of George Floyd, who died while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

It’s unclear where the video originated, but in the clip protesters can be seen waving signs and chanting at oncoming traffic.

At some point in the 12-second clip, a blue Jeep with an American flag, along with a Trump 2020 flag, can be seen driving past the group of protesters. As the jeep comes to a stop, a protester walks in front of the car. Before the clip ends, the Jeep suddenly accelerates into two female protesters, who suffered minor injuries. The group of protesters can be seen chasing the Jeep as it drives off.

The vehicle’s occupants reported the incident, alleged the father of one of the Jeep’s occupants in online postings. Irvine Weekly reached out to the Visalia Police Department for a copy of the report, but “the investigation involving the incident with the Jeep is ongoing and the report is not completed or available at this time,” the department replied in a written statement.

As the video populated social media, people began identifying the Jeep’s occupants as UC Irvine and Fresno State students. Fresno State also addressed the situation in a series of tweets.


The Visalia Police Department also issued a statement, via Twitter.

Editor’s note: Post updated at 3 p.m. with a statement from the Visalia Police Department.

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