UC Santa Cruz Students Occupy Kerr Hall

TAKE IT DOWN NOW

seriously take the picture down indymedia! PLEASE. for the sake of occupations everywhere!

east coast contingent of the imaginary party

"November 20, 2009

To: UCSC Community
Fr: Campus Provost David Kliger
Re: Update on Kerr Hall protest

Last night, I described a protest that began Thursday afternoon at Kerr Hall. I want to provide an update.

[snip]

...in return, I made a simple request: that they leave exits unobstructed so that people inside could leave in the event of a fire or other emergency, and that they not enter certain areas of the building.

They initially agreed... We've now learned that those commitments have not been honored.

Exit doors allowing safe passage from Kerr Hall are obstructed. Some interior areas within the building have been broken into. Based on this, I've decided, for now, not to have another conversation with those remaining inside."

It was a setup. And the students fell for it.
That's how Kerr was from the start, before Kliger even left the building.

Um, guys--why exactly are you saying the agreement with the administrators is a "setup"? Please refute what Kliger says in clear language, so that the rest of us can follow along. I'm no fan of the current administration, but breaking into offices and keeping people trapped inside--if any of that is true--is a really bad idea. You must realize that Kliger et al don't have the power to make all of the demands on your wish list happen magically. Unless you want this action to be purely symbolic (and it does have symbolic value), there needs to be something doable. I was part of an occupation of a president's office at my college in the '80s, where we demanded the college divest all of its funds doing business in South Africa in protest of apartheid. The action raised consciousness and achieved results. Please make sure you leave a space for sympathetic people, who are not in Kerr Hall right now, to continue to support your actions. Breaking and entering, if it's true, will make you lose mine.

Just for specific clarification, NO ONE WAS KEPT INSIDE. From the moment Kerr Hall was entered, the peaceful request for all administration to leave was met peacefully, and as far as everyone inside the building knows, everyone left of their own accord.

Throughout the processions, over 30 staff members left the building through isle ways created by the mass of student protesters. A few students masked with bandanas barricaded the side and back doors.

UPDATE 11/20 11:52am
Protesters are now not permitting entry to administrators or workers into Kerr Hall. Earlier, a small group of administrators were admitted entry by occupation participants in the building to “grab personal items,” including laptops. However, occupation participants have just now decided to not allow entry to anyone after this point. -R. Matsuoka

UPDATE 12:18pm
Additional protesters are gathering to rally in front of Kerr Hall.

1. Perhaps most tellingly, the university refused to commit it to paper or even an email. They want to demand things without giving anything back - nothing but a bad faith attempto to manipulate.
2. Whoever made the 'agreement' was speaking for theirself not the occupation as a whole which decided no such thing. Whoever put themselves in that position made a mistake.

Barricades are necessary to create truly autonomous space for resistance, free of cops and bureaucrats, free of the brutality cops have been using on students in berkeley, la and Davis. For more on the necessity of this tactic: http://anticapitalprojects.wordpress.com

Oh yeah, and dave kliger, you're a lying sack of shit anyway and everyone knows it. You should probably just stop talking altogether.

Was yesterday when he said the library study-in "denied services" to students - talk about Orwellian doublespeak! He also lied about the vicious and cowardly behavior of police who attacked students on October 15 and circulated totally absurd and astronomical figures for property damage at previous occupations - which as you may notice were widely seen as so laughably false that he's no longer bringing them up ($40,000 to steam clean the carpet at GSC, etc)

Dave kliger: a walking, talking, bullshit spewing propaganda machine. If you can take this guy seriously I feel sorry for you

in an email sent out to all UCSC students from the administration,
"We value First Amendment rights and freedom of expression, and I understand your frustrations and concerns about the ongoing budget crisis and fee increases. However, University business, classes, research, and student activities must continue. The Time, Place, and Manner policies that go along with First Amendment rights help the entire campus community and allow us to conduct our work.

Be advised that if you choose to participate in demonstration and protest activities that result in violations of University policies and applicable laws, you may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including suspension and dismissal and/or criminal prosecution. We take these actions very seriously, and individuals will be held accountable. Civil disobedience has consequences. Violations of rules are not protected free speech."

sure, you understand our frustration with the fee increases, you show that understanding but bringing in cops to arrest the people displaying that dissatisfaction...

The statement "vicious and cowardly behavior of police who attacked students on October 15" shows me that you're spewing the same brown pudding you claim Kliger is.

IMO, you blew the disinformation campaign on the 10/15 action on several fronts:

1) your side claimed Glasscock wasn't involved with your actions, but his Facebook page promoting the event in advance of it's occurrance, and his statements on same that we should "Fuck shit up" pretty much invalidate that fantasy.

2) The videotape that was posted here (and just as quickly removed; what a surprise!) clearly showed the sounds of the police warning the protesters to decist in the building of their barricade. The spraying followed that. This video clearly broadcast the voices of the cops telling them to decist; so I don't buy the premise that students were attacked without warning for no reason.

Keep it Real y'all.

no video was removed.

"2. Whoever made the 'agreement' was speaking for theirself not the occupation as a whole which decided no such thing. Whoever put themselves in that position made a mistake."

That is not true at all. It was decided as a group, democratically, and no one objected. And, as far as I know, no mistake has been made: Kliger went back on his word, as everyone assumed he would, and no one's the wiser. Barricades were decided against to keep police activity in check, no more no less.

Perhaps a picture of how the barricades function posted on a site we all know to be police-monitored might be a bit of a security issue?
Perhaps I'm just paranoid; though I feel like no ones addressed the first two requests by other people to take down that picture.

relax, it's just a barricade.
http://likelostchildren.blogspot.com/2009/11/arrow-in-flight.html

That article is a romantic view of what some students wish struggle was. Sorry, but at the end of the day, no matter what the symbolic significance of a barricade is, and no matter how much the issues "don't matter" in form of real resistance, pepper spray still fucking hurts, and we (or our parents) have already all spent too much money to throw it out the window by being expelled. Though I guess some don't have to worry about money.

Sorry barricade.

Yes. Please fucking taking down those pictures, as has been requested numerous times. Plaster them around town if you want when everything is done, but until then, it is a hazard.

Solidarity to all UCSC students engaged in fighting the destruction of public education, and fighting for its transformation into a free, universally accessible place of learning!

the rest of the country is watching and talking about the struggle in CA as we are all facing our own budget cuts in our state schools too.

your resistance is an inspiration, and the more it happens, the more the news will spread and will inspire folks in other parts of the country to follow the example y'all are setting in how to stand up for ourselves, together, so that we don't get expelled and so that we win.

transform the university before it dies!

(Lets see if it works this time.. lol)