Day 179

"Who's university? Our university!"

This anti-fee hike and layoff slogan developed by student groups and staff unions is ringing in my ears this morning after waking up to NPR's announcement that a riot took place on Berkeley campus last night. A group of people (though they appeared to be students, with which groups they are affiliated is unclear since it's come out that police suspect at least half were not students) broke into a construction site on campus to protest the money being spent on the capital project rather than being used to alleviate fee hikes and layoffs. The protest originally started as a peaceful flash dance mob, but later turned into a riot when a portion of the original protest group broke off, trash cans and dumpsters were set ablaze, windows smashed, and other property damaged before the altercations began between "protestors" and riot police. Apparently one girl was sort of punched in the face by an officer as she was taunting and threatening him, which will undoubtedly be fodder for police brutality accusations and investigations, and further division within the movement and the support it is trying to garner. I am certainly leaning on the side of, "What on earth are these morons thinking?!" because they are destroying the credibility of their own arguments and actions. And if someone was threatening your livelihood or your home, would you protest those actions by smashing your own windows and setting stuff on fire? Seems pretty stupid to me to protest the administration by claiming ownership of the university, then subsequently trying to destroy it. In an email condemning the actions and asking for campus help in identifying the rioters, the Chancellor also stated, "Sadly, such action does incredible damage to our advocacy efforts with Sacramento and with the California public to preserve public higher education." Regardless of whether protesters want the Chancellor's blessing or not, he is absolutely right.