It’s 10:30 am in California, and there’s already been a huge amount of activity surrounding the UC Regents’ UCLA meeting to approve huge increases in University of California fees.

Public comment on the fee proposal was the first item on the Regents’ agenda this morning, and UC Student Regent-designate Jesse Chang has been liveblogging events as they happened.

Originally scheduled for just twenty minutes, that time was doubled, and then extended again when the Regents moved to end it while four speakers were waiting for their turn at the microphone — students interrupted the meeting with chants until the chair agreed to allow the last four speakers to be heard.

When the chanting continued even after those speakers, the Regents moved to clear the room. According to Twitter reports, they recessed and left the hearing room while police dispersed the crowd. Eight attendees refused to leave and were arrested.

There’s lots more going on today — a mass rally against the fee hikes is scheduled for noon — and I’ll be updating with news as I get it.

10:40 am | The Mercury News is confirming reports of eight arrests at the meeting. The police say the eight were booked for unlawful assembly and will be released.

10:45 am | I’ve set up a Twitter list of people posting on the meeting and related protests. Please feel free to suggest feeds I should add.

10:55 am | The UCLA Daily Bruin has a live video feed of the meeting.

11:15 am | A group of students stood in the viewing section of the Regents’ meeting room a few minutes after eleven and began singing “We Shall Overcome” alternating with “We Are Not Afraid.” Meeting went into recess, and police arrested the singers. Many students in the viewing area raised fists in solidarity, breaking into cheers of support as the last of the group was arrested.

11:30 am | Number of new arrestees put at six by local media. Chair of Regents committee warned that if there was another disruption the room would be cleared completely. Two students now addressing the committee, opposing the increases.

12:05 pm | Public galleries just cleared after another blowup. Cops declared the gallery an unlawful assembly. Emotional conversation between student protesters and student regents right before the room was cleared.

1:05 pm | Student Regent Designate Jesse Cheng left the meeting room with the students who were expelled, while Student Regent Jesse Bernal stayed inside for the vote. He was the only regent to vote “no.” Cheng is now back inside, continuing to liveblog the meeting.

1:10 pm | Conflicting information circulating about police activity in connection with the protest outside the meeting. Several reports of taserings on Twitter, but the Daily Bruin says the administration officials deny that tasers have been used. Trying to get confirmation of other claims.

1:50 pm | A UCLA press release says that twelve of the fourteen people arrested inside the meeting today were students. The same press release estimates the size of the crowd outside at five hundred, and says that one protester was injured and taken to the hospital.

1:55 pm | The Daily Bruin is reporting on Twitter that protesters outside the Regents’ meeting are planning to block all exits to the building at three o’clock.