Protests explode in wake of decision

By Patrick KerkstraSummer Bruin Staff

SAN FRANCISCO – They chanted. They marched. They cried and were
arrested. But in the end, the sudden flare of student and community
activism was not enough to reverse the decision of the
governor-appointed UC Regents, who chose to end the university’s
30-year-old affirmative action policies.

For two days, students and powerful political figures such as
Rev. Jesse Jackson and Willie Brown vigorously protested against
the proposal to end racial preferences in admissions, hiring and
contracting in the University of California.

The twin plans, which are slated to go into effect in January
1996 and1997, were authored by Regent Ward Connerly and personally
backed by Gov. Pete Wilson.

As the direction of the regents’ decision became clear, the
protesters turned their focus to long term efforts and vowed to
continue their activism, calling for "massive action" when the
school year resumes in fall.

"We are going forward by hope, and not backwards by fear. No lie
can stop us. No jail cell can contain us. No grave can hold our
bodies down. We are determined," Jackson said to a cheering crowd
from the back of a flatbed truck. "We need you to leave this place
mobilizing, galvanizing, organizing, and fighting back," he urged
the protesters.

Events climaxed after the regents’ decision filtered down to
students gathered outside of the UC San Francisco facility where
the meeting was held.

Students, joined by Jackson and other political activists,
surged down a busy San Francisco street in a determined attempt to
force mass arrests. They chanted mantras such as "The people,
united, will never be divided," and "Wilson, you liar, we’ll set
your ass on fire."

The march ended at Geary and Divisadero, where about 50
protesters, including student Regent Edward Gomez, staged a sit-in,
hoping to force arrests by reluctant police.

After police Cmdr. Rich Holder said that no more arrests would
be made that night, Jackson, his fellow clergymen and other
activists left. The remaining protesters, mostly students, left
shortly after.

The sit-in was an anti-climactic ending to two full days of
student activism. Events began in earnest at an acrimonious hearing
at a UC Berkeley Extension campus on Wednesday, as students and
regents heard from speakers on both sides of the affirmative action
issue.

Affirmative action supporters angrily hissed and held up signs
reading "lies" when speakers attacked the program.

One speaker greeted with particular disdain by many in the
audience was UCLA student Rezwan Pavris.

"To visit UCLA is to see pockets of self segregated groups whose
chief similarity lies in their genetic composition," Pavri said.
"Self segregation is a natural consequence of a program that
excludes some for the benefit of others, because this causes
resentment and misunderstanding among all," he continued.

Connerly arrived late to the discussion, and after the
conclusion of the forum, he offered a staunch defense of his
proposal to The Bruin. He argued that his position was not extreme
if outreach programs were to be expanded as he proposed.

Connerly was uncertain, however, of where the funding for such
outreach programs would come from, saying the regents would "find
some dollars some place else in the university."

Affirmative action supporters continued their efforts later that
day at the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco. Jackson, along
with the influential Rev. Cecil Williams and United Farm Workers
leader Dolores Huerta, addressed a crowded audience of nearly 2,000
people.

Meanwhile, many students were organizing the next round of
demonstrations.

The following day’s protests began early. By 7:00 a.m., many of
the protesters were in place at UC San Francisco, and by 9:00 a.m.,
more than 500 people were present. The gathering was complete with
picket signs and effigy of Wilson.

A remarkably high police presence, including 27 officers from
UCLA, was visible throughout the day. University police were aided
by 200 San Francisco city police and 50 California Highway Patrol
officers. The police came equipped with riot gear, a bomb squad and
police dogs.

For much of the demonstration, the protesters were addressed by
speakers whose rhetoric was reminiscent of the civil rights and
free speech movements of the 1960s.

Other protesters made numerous marches around the perimeter of
the school campus, winning approval from honking cars, buses and
trucks.

The protest’s only arrest happened at midday. Led by Williams, a
small group of protesters blocked a driveway of the UC San
Francisco building early in the afternoon. After being asked to
leave, and quietly refusing, six of the demonstrators were led away
by police to the cheers of hundreds of observers. None of those
arrested were UC students.

While students and other community members were marching and
demonstrating outside, the regents resigned themselves to speeches
from a mostly pro-affirmative action crowd.

UCLA undergraduate president York Chang was among the dozens who
spoke before Gov. Wilson and the other regents. Chang urged the
regents to ignore the political concerns surrounding the vote, and
to make the best choice for the university.

"There is a shift in the window of political opportunism," Chang
said. "I urge you not to jump out of that window – it’s a long
drop."

After the guest speakers had their say and the regents began
their own discussion, tension began to mount both inside and out of
the meeting.

It eventually became clear to many observers that the regents
would vote to do away with affirmative action, causing discontent
among many audience members.

When Regent Dean Watkins wondered aloud if the meeting room
should be cleared, the audience exploded and collectively rose to
its feet.

As riot police entered the auditorium, the regents filed out,
while Jackson declared that "Connerly has thrown rocks at Dr.
(Martin Luther) King’s tombstone."

As tensions mounted, the unlikely coalition of students,
preachers, socialist groups and a presidential hopeful began to
show signs of strain.

Some demonstrators angrily called for further physical
disruption of the regents meeting and a move to more aggressive
protests as the hours wore on.

Their calls were tempered by the more moderate voices of the
student leaders and the preachers, who argued for purely
non-violent civil disobedience.

Toward the end of the day, a rift also developed between the
students and Jackson. Once it became clear the police were refusing
to arrest any of the participants in the march from the university
campus, Jackson left – many protesters and most of the media
followed.

But more than 100 students remained blocking intersection,
debating their options and venting their anger.

"We are not to be pawns, and that’s the point of this protest,"
said UC Santa Barbara student Kris Kohler, voicing a common concern
about being used by Jackson.

But one organizer of the event thought the alliance between the
preachers, Jackson and the students had worked well, and would
continue to do so in the future.

"I think people have to reach a level of political maturity,"
said Hatem Bazin, a UC Berkeley graduate student. "We are an
important part of the process, and we are a very significant part,
but we cannot do it ourselves."

The 30-year-old affirmative action program, endorsed by
students, faculty and chancellors alike, is standing on the
precipice of extinction, but supporters of the controversial policy
swear their campaign has just begun.

"There must be massive action on these campuses come August and
September. That action must translate into voter registration. We
must turn pain to power," Jackson said to a hopeful – and in places
teary – crowd.

"This issue is not ‘Are you willing to bleed and die?’ the issue
is Å’Are you willing to live and struggle and fight back," he
asked.

Reports by Michael Howerton

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Protests explode in wake of decision

Demonstrators, led by Jackson, take to the streets of San
Francisco