Student Arrested at UCSC for attempting to incite revolution

My name is David Lee and I’m a student at UCSC (and I also happen to be a former student-journalist on campus as well). I have a story that I think might interest you.

I was recently arrested for attempting to incite a revolution on the UCSC campus. It started as a project to write a paper on, but it turned into a horrible mess that landed me in jail, and eventually in the hospital.

I was arrested last Sunday night, without being read my rights, and made to spend 10 hours in jail without charge (I was told that I was held for being intoxicated in public, although I was not intoxicated, and I was arrested at home, not in public). In fact, I was arrested for going on the air at KZSC, and calling for a “revolution.” After this, I drove home, honking my horn, screaming “viva la revolucion.” In no time, the police showed up at my door, threw my to the ground, and dragged me off to jail. After I was released from jail, I walked barefoot to the chancellor’s office (they did not give me shoes in jail) where I was taken directly to her executive assistant. From there I was taken to the health center to be seen by both a doctor and a psychiatrist. After I was cleared I went home. I returned to the health center the next day for a follow up and was again told that there was nothing wrong with me, that a few days rest was all I needed, and that I could return to school immediately. I returned still a third day to see my psychiatrist, but unfortunately he was not there. Instead, the head of psychiatry called the police and had me escorted to a mental hospital. There I spent 3 days under observation against my will until today, when the maximum time that they can hold you had expired (72 hours).

In all, my ordeal lasted 9 days. Much of this (up until I was dragged off to the Looney bin) was planned. I wanted to write my senior thesis on "the system." I wanted to see how people would react to the word REVOLUTION. I wanted to see what would happen. But I was taken on a ride that was much longer and more trying than I would have ever expected. My "revolution" was just about getting people to think. Getting people to think before they judge others, getting people to think before they jump to conclusions.

I just got back to Orange County where I will rest up and begin to write about my experiences. Although my constitutional rights were infringed upon, I plan no legal action (the mere fact that I seek no legal recourse has only compounded the rumor that I am insane). My housing contract was terminated because of this ordeal, and I’ve withdrawn from school for the quarter to recover both mentally and physically (the officers used the same kind of pain compliance techniques that we saw at tent university, despite the fact that I did not even “peacefully” resist). I was terminated from one of my jobs at the university, and had to resign from an internship/fellowship that I held at the radio station.

All in all everyone was kind and loving. It is not the people who are broken, but rather the rules of “the system” by which they are forced to comply. I don’t want to sue the University; I don’t even need an apology. I just want my story told so that it never has to happen on our campus to anyone again.

In peace and love,
David J Lee
DjL
dlee [at] ucsc.edu