UC Berkeley police bust up hinger strike encampment
MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release,
May 10, 2010
For immediate release,
May 10, 2010
CONTACT:
Marco Amaral (619) 764-8540 marco.amaral6@gmail.com
Tanya Smith (510) 325-6381 tanyagays@yahoo.com
Maricruz Manzanarez (510) 375-0245 balucu@hotmail.com
Horacio Corona (fasting) (559) 789-2381 corona12@berkeley.edu
Katherine Isabel Vega (661) 802-2943 kathyivega@gmail.com
UC Berkeley Police forcefully take down hunger strike encampment as Chancellor returns from trip to Europe
After 170 hours without food, strikers vow to continue until demands met
When: Now, Monday May 10th
Where: California Hall on UC Berkeley Campus
Visuals: dozens of supporters, hunger strikers forced dispersal of encampment.
BERKELEY, CA— At 6am UC Police arrived at the site of the 7 day-old hunger strike with an order to disperse the encampment or face arrest.
This all comes as UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, who has been traveling in Europe during the duration of the strike, returns today to face the strikers for the first time. Many had criticized the Chancellor for not returning earlier to work to resolve the situation, though it appears the administration’s techniques have taken a more forceful turn as with the Chancellor’s return. Hunger strikers, visibly weak after fasting for over 170 hours, are currently struggling to take down the camp.
“They say they’re doing this for our health and for the good of the students” says Marco Amaral, a freshman who is one of the organizers of the strike. “But if Chancellor Birgeneau really cared about the health of the students he wouldn’t be forcing those on the strike to leave in this manner. If the Chancellor truly cared about the students and workers of this campus he would meet our demands and end the strike.”
Students, workers, and community supporters have been protesting on the front lawn of California Hall since last Monday. The 19 individuals on the hunger strike have demands of denouncing racist legislation in Arizona, creating a sanctuary campus and ending retaliation against student and worker activists (see next page for complete demands).
“Our demands are very reasonable and the Chancellor could meet them at any time”, continued Amaral. “We are not ending this strike until they are all met. The Chancellor needs to decide if he’s going to stand with the students, workers, faculty and supporters at the