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Berkeley mayor & UC Chancellor agree to end People's Park

by It's Time to Occupy
According to Berkeleyside (a local source for business and real-estate news), Berkeley's new mayor Jesse Arreguin "is enthusiastic about the plans" to develop housing on People's Park. The mayor has been meeting in private with UC Berkeley's new chancellor Carol Christ.

This is a crucial time to defend People's Park, through occupy tactics, and other methods of public support.
The new mayor and the new chancellor are in agreement: People's Park must end.

Over the past academic year, public outcry prevented the UC from cutting down more trees in People's Park. Public input succeeded in slowing down the UC's plan for development. Chancellor Nick Dirks wanted to destroy People's Park, but he was met with resolute resistance. The new Chancellor, Carol Christ, has declared that she intends to finish what Dirks started. UC Berkeley's public relations director told Berkeleyside that developing People's Park is "a legacy issue".

As part of an agreement between the mayor and the UC, the Telegraph Avenue street ambassadors will be given authorization to patrol People's Park, to clear out undesirables. The Berkeley street ambassadors have a history of violence against the poor, and a history of taking personal possessions from the homeless. (In years past, the ambassadors have stayed out of the park, keeping to Telegraph Avenue.) The city and the UC have also hired a "social worker" who's job will be to talk people into leaving the park without force. During the upcoming academic year, the mayor and the UC plan to whittle away the People's Park community.

The development plan includes 2 large buildings: a unit for student housing and allegedly a unit to house the homeless. Increasing housing is a noble cause; however, the city of Berkeley has a shortage of truly public open space. Over the past few years, city government and developers have been promoting smaller private spaces such as private rooftop gardens, private beer gardens, and other similar exclusionary (customers only) and confined spaces. As the population of Berkeley increases, maintaining parks becomes ever more necessary. Larger spaces, such as People's Park, allow for diverse mingling, a concert venue, a place to share food, a place to move around in with a sense of freedom.

Student housing can be increased within the footprint of the main campus area. There are large glade areas on campus which hold no particular historical and social significance. Construction on the main campus would result in tearing up of grass, while construction on People's Park would result in the tearing up of large trees and gardens. The UC also has a substantially sized property on Dwight Way adjacent to Hillside Avenue and Fernwald Road, which could be used for housing development.

There are vacant buildings and empty lots all over Berkeley, People's Park is not the only option for housing the homeless. The homeless population of People's Park was never surveyed for their interest in housing in People's Park. The development plan is being drafted on their behalf, but it is being done without their participation. The homeless community (which includes long term homeless, recently homeless, and travelers) has historically been opposed to development on that land. If the homeless wanted a housing structure in People's Park, they would have demanded one. The homeless population and park advocates have been fighting development on that space for years: accumulating citations, stay-away orders, and jail time. Those in the park community do want more housing somewhere, but don't want the park to be sacrificed for a home when there are other viable options to explore.

Arreguin told Berkeleyside "we have to have a community process”, yet there has been no effort to draw in the community. When Arreguin ran for mayor, he gave no indication that developing housing on People's Park was part of his agenda - a lie of omission. In the 6 months Arreguin has been mayor, there have been no public meetings about People's Park. Until now, Arreguin never gave any indication that he had been meeting with chancellor Christ about People's Park. All the mayor's discussions have been in private between business interests and the UC.

Arreguin is not alone in dealing with the chancellor. Yesterday, on the social media platform Twitter, council member Droste announced that she had met with Carol Christ about developing People's Park. Droste released a photo with her arm around Christ, stating: "Great talking with Chancellor Christ. She is deeply concerned about...Peoples Park".

On June 12th, a memo circulated from the chancellors office on the subject of a Housing Master Plan Advisory Group. When the memo was issued, it gave no mention of People's Park. The task force has made no effort to interact with the People's Park community. This task force has made no effort to hold a public meeting. It is empowered to make recommendations with no public input.

The city could work with the People's Park community to find alternative sites for sheltering the poor. The UC could re-evaluate other sites for student housing. The city and the UC could allocate funds for a social worker to help with mental health issues, conflict mediation and harm-reduction (pertaining to drug abuse). Instead of increasing funding to the street ambassador program, money could be allocated to hiring gardeners.

The UC is aware that there is strong public support for People's Park. Without public support, the UC would have cleared out all the trees by now. The UC and the mayor are pushing back, trying to create an exaggerated narrative that People's Park must end. The movement to defend People's Park has been successful over the past year. Resistance against the development plans must continue and must increase as the elite powers in Berkeley try to reinvigorate their agenda. Resistance had frozen the development plan, but now resistance must continue to totally end the development deal.
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by Defend People's Park!
sm_lori-droste-carol-christ.jpg
Photo via Twitter. June 27, 2017

Lori Droste (@loridroste): "Great talking with Chancellor Christ. She is deeply concerned about student housing affordability, neighborhood relations, & Peoples Park"
by People's Park Flyer (1969)
sm_who-owns-the-park-geronimo-peoples-park-flyer.jpg
Someday
by Defend The Park
sm_defend-peoples-park-berkeley.jpg
http://www.peoplespark.org/
by Why Arreguin needs Urban Shield
Mayor Jesse Arreguin made a commitment to end Berkeley's ties to Urban Shield. Wonderful! But at the June 20th city council meeting Arreguin and 6 council members (only 2 opposed) voted to continue Urban Shield -- militarized police. This was in front of an auditorium full of people who opposed the police militarization programs, a slap in the face to 400 or more people who attended. In response, they unfurled a large banner reading: "Stop Urban Shield."

Mayor Arreguin then turned the meeting over to police who arrested 2 people. Riot cops threatened to charge into the crowed auditorium, (They didn't actually do it, but it was a scary moment which could've caused panic.) As people exited the building (this was at Longfellow Middle School) police shoved people with batons. A 73-year-old man was hit in the head.

Meanwhile Mayor Arreguin and the council members (except for one) disappeared, presumably went home. The one councilmember who stayed was Cheryl Davila; she tried to calm the police; the cops didn't listen to her but she tried. She's a courageous person.

But where was the mayor? Nowhere to be seen. He just ducked out.

But why would Arreguin, our "progressive" mayor (who was endorsed by Bernie Sanderss), want to militarize Berkeley's police? Well if we connect the dots, maybe the above article shows us why. Perhaps he intends to impose policies that people don't want. And in such situations he may decide to use militarized police to enforce his policies.
by Ron Jacobs
People's Park is many things. It is a green space in a very urban environment. It is a haven for those without homes. It is a symbol of community and a living monument of US history. It is not an empty lot for housing speculators to profit from. It is not a piece of land for the University and its cohorts to pretend they care about the homelessness their policies help create.
The housing crisis cannot be resolved by building over People's Park. People's Park should remain a park.
The Mayor's Race is Challenged by the Real Winner Zachary RunningWolf, Indigenous Elder of the Last Mayoral Election which saw no less than 17 Violations including moving the Ignaration upto Dec 13th to quickly cement the Cheat. The Election is Proven Wrong and UCB GUILTY of Voter Fraud as Largest employer they are Not be able to affect a City Election through the Sequoia Voting Counting Machine that now is Mysterously unknown how it became the Machine to Count Paper Ballot. RunningWolf proof of getting more than 2 % (Ridiculous but you don't get a Perc. in Rank Choice but the accumulation of 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Votes. The fact that these two Criminals plotting to Develop a Property they DO NOT OWN as the Rules of Eminent Domain say if the Property is NOT used in the First 7 years it goes back to the Original Owner of the Ohlone People. Candidate Mr. Areguin campaign with the Other Stooges from City Council (Worthlessness and De Capitelli) all said University is Broke setting up Student Fee Hike post Selection along with More Police (Jesse ran a BLM endorsement flier which included Worthlessness when sayin More Police? as starting salary for BPD is over 200,000 a year with the City over 1.2 Billion in debt. As Mayor I would instruct the City Attorney to legally put the Park in the Cities Responsibility NOT UCB and as Guardian until the Park turns 50 as a Historic Park and SAFE from the War Profiteers and Criminals of UC Greediants. I remind People that the KKKowards of the UC Greeediants use the Summerbreak to Preform their Criminal behavior like the Illegal cutting down 18,000 Eucaliptus Trees in the East Bay Regional Park which is Not Their LAND. These Assholes PAID THE COMPANY TO WORK AT NIGHT SO NOBODY NOTICED. UC BERKELEY THE cONTRADICTION THAT THEY SAID "WE ARE bROKE" WHILE SAYING MORE STUDENT HOUSING AND pROJECTS THRU OUT THE CITY AS THE UNIVERSITY LOANS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA acting as a Banking Institution. The University does Not understand the Simple science of Globl Warming as new Housing would result in More trees Cut down for the Area of Development and Materials to use to Build. My Administration would also Break all Mutural Aid contracts and would defend the Park with the City Police Force. Some would say Berkeley is a City Attorney run which is BS as the Top Vote Getter it is my say where the Police would go hence the Cheat. As a Multiple Tree-sits which have saved the Park Multiple Times in Recent Years there is No Doubt my Commitment to the Park and my campaign is Labelled "Bring the UC Greediants 2 Justice". Until Jesse agrees to investigation of Illegitimate Election I will defend not from the Seat of Mayor but a Platform hung in a Tree. If there are Resources for Climbing Gear as I am currently Hand to Mouth fighting the Celeste Child Molestation Case and Mayor Give them the ole Shaaf(t) trying to Excuse 30 officers from Firing or Jail Time as my current pressure of Exposure has now 14 officers getting Punished. The before mentioned to get that Fraud out of my Seat and Todays 4 day Stop driving Global Warming with Carbon levels at a ALARMING 410 part per Million with Human SURVIVAL is 350 so NEED of Funding is Dire please donate Please (913) 638-0539, runningwolf.org and stopdriving.org Aho
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