On October 23, 2006, the administration of UC Santa Cruz spent tens of thousands of dollars bussing in at least three dozen police officers (from UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCSC and possibly UCSF) to guard a Graduate & Professional School Fair from the student population. The plan worked magnificently - a solid steel fence was erected outside the fair (located at College 8), with cops surrounding the entire perimeter. Riot helmets sat on a nearby table, and half a dozen high-profile administrators stood ready for action. Within hours, the building had been transformed into a fortress, impenetrable to the hordes of violent, black-clad anarchists. Except, there was one thing the administrators hadn't planned for... there was no protest at all!

Thinking that a protest would occur if military recruiters visited campus is a natural assumption. In the past two years, UCSC has witnessed bi-annual mass actions where military recruiters have been kicked off by hundreds of students, acting in a nonviolent, yet direct manner to work towards a military-free campus. However, the police presence at October 23rd's grad fair wasn't just wishful thinking - it was outright paranoia, based on an absolute disconnect between UCSC's administration and its student body. Read more and view photos