UC Berkeley ends hunger strike over immigrationThursday, May 13, 2010   UC Berkeley students Ismael Armendariz (left) and Nestor Espinoza pass the time playing chess as they join 22 other hunger strikers camped out in front of California Hall on the UC Berkeley campus Thursday, demanding that UC President Mark Yudof and UC chancellors denounce the Arizona legislation which gives law enforcement broad powers to detain people they suspect of being in the country illegally. MORE BAY AREA NEWS(05-12) 21:23 PDT BERKELEY -- With the blessings of ceremonial dancers, a group of UC Berkeley students ended a 10-day hunger strike Wednesday while negotiators met with the chancellor over the status of illegal immigrants and student demonstrators. Soon afterward, students and Chancellor Robert Birgenau announced some modest agreements on undocumented university employees and student discipline. About 20 hunger strikers, mostly students, had camped out in front of the school's administration building since May 3. Their initial protest target was Arizona's new immigration law, which requires police to stop and question anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally. Birgenau quickly complied with the protesters' first demand - to denounce the law. But he balked at their proposals to declare the campus a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants, rehire laid-off janitors and drop disciplinary charges against students who occupied or vandalized buildings last fall to protest rising fees. Campus officials had met with strikers four times, without results. Birgenau agreed to an in-person meeting Wednesday if the students would call off the strike. They agreed out |
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