A student was arrested — and reportedly assaulted by cops — as she and two friends attempted to block an entrance to the Rio Piedras campus of the University of Puerto Rico this morning. (Link | Google Translation)
UPR was closed for two months this spring by a massive student strike. At the time, students were able to negotiate a settlement on extremely favorable terms, but administrators have since reneged on one of their major promises — an abandonment of planned fee increases.
With plans in place for a tuition hike of $800 in the coming semester, students have approved a plan for a new strike to begin on December 14. As the activist blog Desdeadentro reports (Link | Google Translation), demonstrations are already underway. A one-day walkout, scheduled for today, has brought police to Rio Piedras in force. (Link | Google Translation)
The clash between protesters and police this morning occurred as students attempted to prevent police from dismantling a campus gate. In the previous strike, students chained several such gates shut to control entry to the campus, but this morning, after subduing the students, police private security removed the gate from its hinges and carted it away.
December 7 Update | As noted in comments, university administrators have brought private security onto campus, and things are tense indeed. Students have called a 48-hour strike, and the situation is being liveblogged here (Google Translation).
studentactivism.net 
3 comments
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December 6, 2010 at 8:43 pm
Jorge C.
Hey, just wanting to give some light to that last part you reported. Its not the police that are taking down the gates. They are a hired security organization(thats not very organized mind you) called Capitol Security. There are other un-identified subjects inside the university, without any real reason for being there. They’re not students, just people that say are “curious” with the situation. Its obvious thats not the case. Around 2-3am last night there were 2 fires near the student center both which ended up contained by the university security.
Some students believe these people were hired by the University’s administration to bring down the gates and wreak havoc inside the school. This raises the question, why is there money to call a security company to help literally dismantle the school gates but we have to pay the deficit? It makes no sense.
The police have been surrounding the entrances all thru-out the day. We really dont know what to do.
Tomorrow and wednesday should be interesting though; there is a unofficial academic recess for both days that feels like it wont be going down smoothly.
If you know spanish and are interested in knowing more about the struggle tune to:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/radiohuelga
Its a continually running internet radio station that has documented through the radio all occurrences related to the last strike and since then, helping people understand what goes on with this administration and with the relationship they have with the government here.
thanks,
-jorge
December 7, 2010 at 2:18 am
Jorge C.
UPDATE:
A Humanities student was attacked and wounded by Capitol Security security members. He was taken to Auxilio Mutuo Hospital. People on the scene report some capitol security agents were laughing as he was taken inside the ambulance.
December 7, 2010 at 4:28 am
Jorge C.
Videos and Timeline @http://www.primerahora.com/secaldeanlosanimosenlasentradasdelauprvevideo-450733.html