Two dozen activists launched a hunger strike on the Berkeley campus last night, calling on UC administrators to denounce Arizona’s new immigration law, drop disciplinary charges against student demonstrators, and revise the student code of conduct through a “democratic, student-led process.”
The Arizona law, SB1070, has drawn campus protest nationwide, and become a lightning rod in the debate over immigration policy.
The hunger strikers released a six-point list of demands:
- That UC Berkeley administrators denounce SB1070, and call on administrators throughout the UC system to do the same.
- That the university implement a task force on AB540, a law that provides in-state tuition rates to longtime California residents who are undocumented.
- That “any and all” disciplinary charges stemming from student protests in the 2009-10 academic year be dropped.
- That the university reverse layoffs of unionized service workers and “stop attacks against union activists.”
- That the current university code of conduct be suspended, and that a democratic, student-led process to replace it be undertaken.
- That the university “accept responsibility for the violence and escalation of the confrontation surrounding Wheeler Hall on November 20th and December 11th 2009” and meet future protests with a non-violent response.
We’ll be following this story as it develops.
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May 4, 2010 at 5:59 pm
maxwelllove
Beautiful!
May 5, 2010 at 3:52 am
Icarus
Still going strong as we enter day 3! The administration sent a Vice Chancellor to address the strikers, and they were promised negotiations tomorrow. Also tomorrow is the first formal conduct hearing of about 40 set to take place at Berkeley. Mass rally set for 1:30 — if you’re in the Bay Area, come out and show solidarity with those facing charges!
May 10, 2010 at 11:34 am
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