Protest over People's Park housing plan blocks Sather Gate on UC Berkeley campus
BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- A protest over the controversial plan to build UC student housing in Berkeley's People's Park has blocked Sather Gate on campus, according to UC Berkeley police.
The police department Twitter account posted about the protest at around 1:30 p.m. and advised taking "alternate routes through campus" to avoid the area.
A protest on Upper Sproul Plaza is completely blocking Sather Gate. For your safety, please avoid the area and find alternate routes through campus. https://t.co/biG8qt8dbm
— UC Police, Berkeley (@UCPD_Cal) April 29, 2022
A brief video posted on Instagram showed a banner raised at Sather Gate that read "DISPLACEMENT KILLS SAVE PEOPLE'S PARK" as protesters could be heard chanting "Who's park? People's Park!"
According to information posted on the People's Park Berkeley Instagram account, protesters met at People's Park at 7:30 a.m. before moving to the UC campus at 8 a.m.
The plan to build the $312 million student housing project that will house about 1,100 undergraduates was approved by the Board of Regents last October.
Those opposed to the project have promised regular protests and litigation to fight the construction. The university has said that 125 units of the project will be designated as supportive housing for the homeless.
The university additionally plans to keep 1.7 acres of land as park space.