November 20, 2009

Students Occupy UC Santa Cruz, Davis, Berkeley Buildings

Posted by Angus Johnston at 12:55PM

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Early this morning several dozen students launched a takeover of Wheeler Hall, a building on the University of California's Berkeley campus. Their occupation is the fifth in the last two days in the UC system, and comes in response to yesterday's vote by the UC regents to raise student fees by 32 percent.

Wheeler Hall, which houses a 760-seat auditorium and dozens of classrooms -- including many large lecture halls -- is one of the most prominent buildings on the Berkeley campus. It has been the site of many student demonstrations in the past, including occupations calling for university divestment from South Africa in 1977 and Israel in 2002.

Police reportedly confronted students as they were attempting to occupy the building, making three arrests and using pepper spray and batons on protesters. A group of students was able to make their way to the second floor, however, and to barricade themselves inside.

The Wheeler occupiers have hung a banner from two upper-story windows that reads "32 percent FEE HIKE 1900 LAYOFFS NO CLASS." They have also been using a bullhorn to address students outside the building. Police have cordoned off the entire building at this hour.

9:20 am | Twitter reports from the protesters suggest that there are about three dozen activists inside the building, and that police are attempting to disassemble doors to the rooms that are being occupied.

9:30 am | Another Twitter report, citing sources among the activists currently occupying Wheeler, says that the students arrested this morning have been charged with burglary. Also, the Daily Cal student newspaper is now liveblogging the occupation.

9:45 am | A statement from the UC Berkeley administration says that Wheeler Hall is closed "until further notice." It confirms that three people have been arrested, including one non-student. The title of the statement is "Protest Action Closes Wheeler Hall."

9:50 am | Twitterer @ucbprotest writes: "The protesters inside Wheeler Hall demand the janitors jobs be reinstated and the protesters inside and those arrested this morning go free." Another tweet: "The protesters demands, again, are that the 38 AFSCME workers that were laid off are re-hired, and that the protesters receive amnesty."

10:00 am | The Daily Cal has a new story up on the occupation. It quotes an organizer as saying that the group entered the building at about nine o'clock last night, not this morning as has been reported elsewhere.

10:55 am | Multiple reports on Twitter that fire alarms have been pulled in one or more buildings around campus.

11:00 am | A newly posted article says that "several hundred" students are gathered in front of Wheeler Hall to support the occupation. Also, a new statement from the occupiers is now online.

11:55 am | The Daily Cal is now reporting that fire alarms went off in five campus buildings this morning, causing all five buildings to be evacuated.

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At least one student was tasered yesterday at UCLA.

See more photos here.