Alette Kendrick is facing the harshest punishment ever imposed on a student at UCSC - a three year suspension which would virtually expel the third year History Major. Organized by the UC Activist Defense Committee, hundreds of students, faculty and community members joined together on May 24 to rally in support of Alette - to demand that the charges against her be dropped and that she be allowed to stay in school. Numerous campus groups have participated in solidarity actions during the past week and History of Consciousness Professor Angela Davis addressed the crowd at the rally.

From a report by Bradley on the October 18 Regents Protest at UCSC "As protest tactics escalated and the police became increasingly angry and frustrated with their inability to control some of the protesters, they targeted three activists, took them to the ground, and dragged them inside the building. As students struggled to prevent the abduction of their friends, they were met with a barrage of batons and pepper-spray sent forth from the retreating officers." This day was the first time pepper spray or any chemical weapon had been used on a University of California campus.

Speakers highlighted the fact that of the three students arrested on October 18, 2006, at the UC Regents Protest, the only student specifically targeted by police and facing suspension is not only a prominent anti-war activist on campus, but was racially profiled. Alette's personal account from that day describes police as saying, "That's the one we want, get her!" She was violently handcuffed and detained, held face-down, on the floor by UC police then dragged up stairs in front of the regents.

After chants from the crowd Acting Chancellor Blumenthal came out of Kerr Hall and faced everyone at the rally. Several organizations presented him with petitions signed by students, faculty and staff in support of dropping all charges against Alette. After receiving the signatures, Blumenthal took the mic and claimed that "fair or not-fair, there is a process that must be followed" and that he would review the "individual student's case" after it had arrived at his desk. He then retreated back inside, leaving event organizers to point out that the case was in fact already at his desk and that he did have the power to change an unfair system. The fact that he did not act immediately to dismiss the charges, even after receiving the petitions proves his intent to uphold the racist system. Unsatisfied, event organizers claimed the rallies would continue until the case is finally dismissed and until Blumenthal is no longer Chancellor at UC Santa Cruz.

Alette's Narrative on the UC Activist Denfense Committee Website:
http://www.ucactivistdefense.org/background/

Coverage of the October 18 protest: UCSC Community Confronts Regents, Cops Respond with Violence, Pepper-Spray
https://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/10/20/18321848.php