Thread: UC Berkley Riots

I'm only finding just a little bit of coverage about the riots a few days ago on the UC Berkley campus.

Has anyone seen this story covered on any of the major news channels?

Anyone hearing about this or are you in the dark?

Sounds like a pretty major riot, damaged buildings, etc...

W

I have read about it on and off in the media. It does have enough coverage as far as I am concerned.

I saw videos on You Tube and some articles published in a few local newspapers and student University newspapers (locally), but as far as major media is concerned, of course, they WILL downplay it!!! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM RADICAL LEFT-WING LIBERALIST SOROS SOCIALIST MEDIA OUTLETS??????????

They are too busy telling you that YOU are the bad guys...lol

The only place I've heard a WORD about it is here.

This must be part of the same protest?:

If so, it was organized by a group calling itself By Any Means Necessary which advocates for affirmative action and more illegal aliens to be granted access to higher education.

They've got a HUGE chip on their shoulder with UC and, evidently, just recently filed suit.

And they are inciting violence, make no mistake about that.


UCLA, UC Irvine Demonstrations Marked by Focus on Immigrants, Undocumented Students

By Sarah Springfield
Contributing Writer
Friday, March 5, 2010

Comments (5)

LOS ANGELES-Immigration issues figured prominently in student protests staged at UCLA and UC Irvine Thursday.

A walkout on the UCLA campus was sparsely attended, but a rally that began at noon drew about 400 students and union members to Bruin Plaza near the main entrance to the campus. Though the demonstration addressed current budget challenges on campus, the majority of speakers at the rally referenced racially-charged incidents at UC San Diego and acts of vandalism at UC Davis as major causes for concern and catalysts to greater action.

"In L.A., the public schools are 75 percent Latino and 10 percent black," said Adam Lerman, a organizer for affirmative action group By Any Means Necessary, at the protest. "We are in the middle of one of the most diverse cities in the country, and the campus needs to reflect that. L.A. is powder keg waiting to explode."

Speakers said UC policies during the economic recession have limited the campus's diversity. Amid chants of "Si, se puede," activists called for greater acceptance of immigrant and undocumented students at the campus.

Afterward, the crowd broke up into smaller groups that continued to make their own way through campus, beating drums, dancing and chanting slogans.

According to UCLA spokesperson Phil Hampton, 200 students and union members then made their way to Murphy Hall, an administrative building which houses Chancellor Gene Block's office. The demonstrators congregated in the hallway outside his office, urging him to accept demands, which Hampton said included changes to admissions procedures and a rolling back of student fee increases, worker furloughs and lay-offs.

The crowd in Murphy Hall thinned to about 70 supporters by about 2:15 p.m., many of whom united around stories of immigration and struggle, student-written poetry and impromptu musical performances in Spanish.

When the crowd grew restless, organizers urged the demonstrators to "show their solidarity" and wait for "reinforcements."

According to Hampton, 30 to 40 protesters were still in the building after its closure at 6:00 p.m. Thirty minutes later, UCPD officers issued a formal warning to leave the building under threat of arrest. The final group of 20 students left the building following additional police warnings.

Protest efforts at UC Irvine were more cohesive. According to senior Shawnee Moges, 800 students, union workers and two faculty members attended a noon rally where demonstrators discussed student fee increases, racism and worker exploitation. Similar to UCLA, many protesters focused on the rights of immigrants and undocumented students.

"Attacks on minorities and people of color have induced a recognition that all our struggles are linked and are part of a systemic and structural problem," said Abraham Medina, a UC Irvine junior and protest organizer, in an e-mail.

A march around campus began at 1:30 p.m. before spilling into the city's streets half an hour later, gathering additional demonstrators along the way.

Police escorted protesters along University Avenue, where the group blocked four lanes of traffic in its march toward Interstate Highway 73.

Demonstrators returned to campus and were unsuccessful in occupying a campus library due to an abundance of doors.

www.dailycal.org

L.A. public schools are 75% Hispanic and 10% Black but they are the most diverse in the nation? WTH? How is that diversity?

I'm a little confused.

Is this article above with all the political messages about immigrants the same protest that turned violent and led to clashes to police and stuff burning in the streets?

W

It received a lot of local coverage on TV and in the newspapers.

It appears that the student protesters were basically peaceful, but a small group, joined by some protessional protesters blocked a freeway and the police moved in and removed them.

Students are up in arms about a 33% fee increase. In the past 15 years, the amount of the state budget for higher ed has decreased from 11% to 5%. It is at the point where there are 4 students to a dorm, kids have to spend an extra 2 years in school in order to get classes etc. With the upcoming budget cuts, it is going to get worse.

Of course, during that time period, funding for prisons has skyrocketed, but the prision guard union is probably the strongest in the state.

I had not head any link to illegal immigration.

If an American student was in the country I have a business in, and he or she was illegal, he or she would have NO rights, and be in jail--not protesting anything.