A small group of University of California students have taken over a vacant building on the Davis campus.

UC Davis spokeswoman Claudia Morain says the protesters entered the two-story building after a noon rally Tuesday and were still there Wednesday.

Morain says the small building was recently the home of the Cross Cultural Center and will soon house some student affairs programs.

Campus officials say they are monitoring the situation to ensure campus safety and minimize disruption to student services.

Student Artem Rafkin told The Sacramento Bee says the protesters plan to use the building as the center of operations for the campus Occupy movement.

UC Davis administrators have come under fire since school police pepper-sprayed student protesters during a crackdown on a campus Occupy camp in November.