UC President Mark Yudof and the California State Legislature announced yesterday that they will launch separate investigations into recent university police violence against student protesters at UC Berkeley and UC Davis.
Yudof commissioned William Bratton, the former Police Chief of both Los Angeles and New York City, to examine last Friday’s pepper-spraying incident at UC Davis. Meanwhile, UC Vice President and General Counsel for Legal Affairs Charles Robinson and UC Berkeley School of Law Dean Christopher Edley, Jr. will head the investigation into system-wide policies regarding law enforcement at campus protests. At the request of Higher Education Committee Chair and State Assemblyman Marty Block (D-San Diego), the state legislature will also hold hearings next month to address civil rights concerns raised by the university police response.
Block said the university administration’s actions contradict the system’s reputation for protecting free expression.
“Our UC system has been a bedrock for free speech, and a model for tolerance in respecting the rights of students and others to peacefully protest,” Block said in a press release. “As a representative of the higher education community and a retired professor, I value students’ rights to express themselves and exercise their first amendment right to free speech with safety and dignity.”
Yudof’s decision to initiate the review was prompted by a written request from UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, who delivered a public apology to the student body on Monday for authorities’ actions. In addition, Yudof will establish an advisory panel consisting of students, faculty and staff to review Bratton’s report and make campus safety recommendations.
UC Davis student Davis Bushco, a victim of the pepper spray incident, filed an online petition calling for Katehi’s resignation. The petition has acquired 86,871 signatures as of press time and aims to collect 150,000.
According to Lynn Tierney, Vice President of Communications for the University of California, Katehi has acted appropriately in the wake of the incident.
“I believe that the firsthand apology of the chancellor at Davis was a courageous thing to do,” Tierney said. “The [chancellor] said [she] is appalled at the response to the protests. [She] fully supports the students’ rights to protest.”
According to a press release from Block’s office, the Assembly Committee on Higher Education and the Senate Education Committee will jointly head a public hearing on Dec. 14 at the state capitol to determine the extent of force used and examine the responsibilities of university police at non-violent campus protests.
University of California cops report to and take direction from campus chancellors. OUST UC Davis Chancellor and UC Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau. The buck stops at the campus Chancellors. Further…University of California Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau hijack’s our kids’ futures. I love University of California (UC) having been a student & lecturer. But today I am concerned that at times I do not recognize the UC I love. Like so many I am deeply disappointed by the pervasive failures of Regent Chairwoman Lansing, President Yudof, Chancellor Birgeneau from holding the line on rising costs & tuition increases Chancellor Birgeneau has molded Cal.… Read more »
UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi was a member of a recent International Advisory Committee on Greek Higher Education. The committee’s report can be viewed in English translation at http://notthemajorityopinion.blogspot.com/2011/04/report-if-international-advisory.html (there are some formatting issues, but overall it’s reasonably readable). As discussed at http://crookedtimber.org/2011/11/22/athens-polytechnic-comes-to-uc-davis/ , university asylum in Greece was abolished a few months ago based at least in part on the recommendations of this committee, concomitant with growing rebellion against increasingly unpopular austerity measures. The asylum laws had restricted the ability of police to enter university campuses, and dated back to the uprisings against the Greek military junta back in… Read more »
the only reason there are ethnic studies departments is because students of color during the 60s-80s OCCUPIED BUILDINGS INDEFINITELY and demanded change. then reagan came in and made being white the number one requisite for the american dream. racism, sexism and essentialism are still rampant in our social fabric today and each of us needs to check ourselves to see how this effects our actions and thoughts. start with checking your emotions and observe how you react to different images, words, phrases, jokes. you may be a closet racist like mark yudof is.
University of California faculty gains pay rises from California’s economy pain Students and their parents face mortgage defaults, 19% unemployment (including those forced to work part time and those no longer searching), pay reductions, loss of unemployment benefits. UC Faculty receives pay increase. No layoff for Faculty, Chancellors during California’s longest deepest recession. There is no good reason to raise faculty salaries, tuition, fees when wage concessions are available. UC wages must reflect California’s ability to pay, not what others are paid. If wages better elsewhere, chancellors, tenured, non tenured faculty, UCOP apply for the positions. If wages determine commitment… Read more »
When will we start holding officers accountable for their brutality and excessive use of force? Evicting protesters is Unconstitutional and endangers the basic rights of EVERY last American. Is this the country we were raised in, were men and women are beaten, gassed, pepper-sprayed and arrested for their disapproval of the government? We have to be careful to protect our Constitutional Rights! Raise awareness and do your part with these free posters I designed for the movement on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/11/propaganda-for-occupy-movement.html
Campus cops take direction and report directly to campus chancellors. Campus Chancellors are accountable and responsible to campus chancellors. Cops just carry out the wishes of Campus chancellors. Officers are not the root of the problem. Chancellors are hiding behind their police officers.
Fire, Oust, Retire UC Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau and UC Davis Chancellor for applying violence on their students protesting increases in tuition.
Chancellors are the problem. Cops are the victems of the Chancellors directives.