UC Berkeley police arrest protesters at People's Park; cargo containers block access
Tension escalated Thursday afternoon as a battalion of law enforcement officers faced off against a steadfast assembly of protesters determined to resist the planned development at Berkeley's People's Park.
Multiple people were arrested at People's Park in Berkeley early Thursday as University of California Police and other law enforcement agencies began removing protesters from the park as construction of a housing project was set to resume at the site.
Crews were seen cutting down trees and dismantling a makeshift building at the historic park known for its role in the civil rights and free speech movements. Police formed a skirmish line on Channing Way and Telegraph Ave. after police forced people out of the park toward the downtown area.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers gathered in the neighborhood as fencing and shipping containers were placed around the park to block access. Seven people were arrested on charges of trespassing, while two others were arrested for allegedly failing to disperse, according to the university. Each was cited and released.
Berkeley police said they arrested another person for disrupting construction Thursday afternoon. While chopper video appeared to show more people being taken into police custody, so far there has been no word of additional arrests.
Karen Pickett was among the vocal protesters gathered near the park. She emphasized the park's significance.
"It's important as a historical marker, but also as a little bit of open space as Berkeley grows and grows and grows," she said.
George Killingsworth, a participant in the rally, echoed Pickett's sentiment. He recalled his personal connections to the park's history.
"I was here in 1969 and helped dig up the asphalt to start People's Park," said Killingsworth. "So of course I wan to preserve it. Because many historical, spiritual, and things close to my heart have happened at this park over the years."
Housing plans, project opposition
UC Berkeley is planning to build a $312 million housing project for about 1,100 students along with low-income housing at the site; opponents want the university to preserve the park and build the housing in another location. UC Berkeley maintains that two-thirds of the park will remain as open space.
The plan would preserve 60% of the 2.8-acre park's green space and the park would remain open to the public. People living in the park have been offered transitional housing.
"The project at People's Park is a very important project for the university," said UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof. "It was a project that was carefully designed to benefit not just students but also the community at large."
Councilmember Rigel Robinson also spoke of the rising need for student housing in Berkeley.
"The proposed student housing is urgently needed to alleviate our housing crisis," said Robinson. "And the permanent supportive housing at People's Park will be the most significant homeless services and affordable housing project in the history of the neighborhood."
Protesters have been adamant in their opposition. In August of 2022, police arrested seven protesters during a melee at People's Park that also left two officers injured, according to university officials. Activists have also fought against the displacement of unhoused people currently living in the park.
"It's quite clear that the university, although they deny it, they have alternatives," said Harvey Smith of the People's Park Historic District Advocacy Group. "They've given us a false choice of either, we can have student housing, which we all want them to build more of, or we can have a park."
"Clearly they want to wipe out something that is really symbolic," said Pickett.
Construction put on hold
Construction came to a halt in February after an appeals court ruled that the university failed to study the potential noise issues caused by future residents and consider alternative sites.
In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that cleared the way for construction to resume at the park. The bill altered a key state environmental law to say that developers don't need to consider noise from future residents as a form of environmental pollution.
The state Supreme Court will make the final ruling on whether the university could resume construction at the park, founded in 1969 when community organizers banded together to take back a site the state and university seized under eminent domain.
While the appeal is heard, the university says it has the legal right to close off the construction zone while the case is litigated.
"Given that the existing legal issues will inevitably be resolved, we decided to take this necessary step now in order to minimize disruption for the public and our students when we are eventually cleared to resume construction," UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ said in a statement. "Unfortunately, our planning and actions must take into account that some of the project's opponents have previously resorted to violence and vandalism, despite strong support for the project on the part of students, community members, advocates for unhoused people, the elected leadership of the City of Berkeley, as well as the Legislature and governor of the state of California."
Jose Martinez contributed to this story.