A few moments ago, I replied to a commenter on my Huffington Post piece about yesterday’s incident in which a University of California police officer pointed a gun at a group of student protesters with the following:
Ultimately the issue here isn’t this one officer’s actions. That wasn’t the focus of my essay, and it’s not the focus of my concern. The issue is the University of California’s systematic undermining and marginalizing of legitimate student protest, and the radicalizing effects that this strategy has had on activists and campus police alike.
Yesterday five UC students were threatened with arrest for chalking on their campus. Today several UC students were cited for putting up posters that included an image of the officer who drew his gun yesterday. Is this a sane way for a university to behave? Is this an approach to legitimate student protest that makes any sense at all?
I say it’s not. I say it’s dangerous.
Once again, as I have so many times in the last twenty-four hours, I find myself saying something I can’t believe I have to say: Chalking your campus to announce an upcoming event is a legitimate form of expression. Putting up caustic satirical posters criticizing university policies is not a crime.
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November 18, 2010 at 6:07 pm
reclaimuc
here’s another example from last month at UC berkeley: UCPD broke into a departmental library and stole (“recovered”) banners and banner-making materials on the morning of the october 7 day of action.
home of the free speech movement.
November 18, 2010 at 8:50 pm
zunguzungu
All sorts of police strolling around campus; passed 10 in between sproul plaza and Wheeler hall. There are a lot of “Pay your fees or we’ll shoot you” posters (with Kemper’s picture) all over the place, too.
November 18, 2010 at 11:24 pm
thosewhouseit
Cops are walking around the UCB campus in small packs with ziptie cuffs on their belts by the half dozen.
November 19, 2010 at 12:42 am
reclaimuc
in addition to UCPD there are alameda county sheriffs already deployed on campus tonight.
November 21, 2010 at 2:35 am
Ricardo Gomez
Hi Angus. Don’t know if you’ve checked out this video yet, but here is some on the ground footage of what UCPD repression looks like at UCB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNIHLz0oU5c
November 22, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Anonymous Chalker
Monday Nov 22, 11am
Meet at flagpoles
Chalk will be provided
On Wednesday, during protests against fee increases and cuts to pensions at UCSF, police arrested, beat, and peppersprayed students protesting nonviolently. At one point, a cop from UCI – Officer Jared Kemper – drew his handgun and aimed it at students. At the same time, here at UCI, 5 students were detained for chalking political messages, about the fee increases and police violence earlier that day.
The next day, Berkeley stu…dents were cited by police for posting fliers in designated posting areas, because they showed the officer pointing his gun at the camera. Friday, Berkeley students were followed around campus by Alameda County sheriffs as they chalked against the fee increases and repression of chalking, and called for Kemper’s termination.
Chalking is not vandalism, it is free speech, and we can’t allow our administration and their police to suppress and repress free speech.
We will be passing out chalk to students to let them make their voices heard. You don’t have to write anything political – just saying what you want to say can be subversive.
CHALK IS FREE SPEECH!
END REPRESSION OF STUDENT PROTEST!
FIRE OFFICER KEMPER!
STUDENT RIGHTS CANNOT BE ERASED!
November 22, 2010 at 5:36 pm
anonymous chalker
Officer kemper detained 4 students for chalking today at uci. He was met by the ridicule of those in attendance and appeared uneasy with the students remarks. The students had their information taken and the police left. Students continued to chalk in another area of campus under surveillance. Finally as the crowd died down the remaining students at the second chalk site were approached by some unidentified uci worker who alleged that the students were “going to be arrested”. Because of low numbers at the end students decided to leave and avoid another confrontation with kemper and UCIPD
November 22, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Rebel 2
more on this: http://ucrebelradio.wordpress.com/2010/11/22/massive-chalking-demo-uc-irvine/