UC Board of Regents meeting disrupted by protesters, still reviews state budget proposal

RIVERSIDE – A group of protesters disrupted the UC Board of Regents meeting Thursday and a more large-scale protest surrounding the building on the UC Riverside campus reached an estimated 1,000 people at its height.

Two were arrested, according to reports.

The regents were scheduled to discuss alternative funding methods for the University of California, and hear a presentation reviewing Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget for 2012-2013. In the budget, Brown proposes an ongoing increase of $90 million to the UC, dependent on whether his tax initiative makes it onto the ballot in November. He also proposes raising eligibility requirements for Cal Grants.

During an extended public comment period, students from across the UC urged the regents to consider backing increased taxes for the state’s highest earners and the repeal of Proposition 13, which capped California property tax rates.

As the public comment period ended, a group of 20 protesters began chanting in the form of a mic check ““ a common communication mechanism of the Occupy movement that relies on a group repetition of a speaker’s words. The protesters took issue with the time allocated for public comment, originally 20 minutes and extended to 40 minutes.

“Minor windows of public comment are not adequate compensation for critical dialogue over the power of decisions that the regents make,” the protesters chanted. The group then sat down on the floor, linked arms and called for a general assembly.

“We’re here to urge the regents to become a more transparent, democratic body so the students can truly have their voices heard,” said Kyle Todd, a third-year law student and member of Occupy UCLA.

When the general assembly started, Sherry Lansing, chair of the UC Board of Regents, called the meeting to a halt. The regents then retreated to a private room to discuss how to respond to the disruption.

Forty university police officers surrounded the protesters, but did not remove them from the meeting place.

Lansing soon returned and listened to the protesters, a move she also took at the November meeting at UCLA. She said she respected what they were saying, noting she had extended the public comment period by 20 minutes.

“What is frustrating to me is that you don’t seem to want to respect our opportunity to speak back, and that saddens me, because today’s meeting was totally devoted to trying to find a way not to raise tuition,” Lansing said.

Meanwhile, university police barricaded the building while the crowds of protesters swelled outside of the building.

The larger protest included students from the UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council External Vice President’s office, and members of Occupy UCLA.

Police, standing behind a barrier, threatened arrest at least seven times over a microphone. During the course of the meeting, no arrests were made, Lansing said when the meeting resumed.

The Los Angeles Times reported that two people were arrested after the meeting. The night commander could not be reached.

The protesters making up the general assembly meeting also left the building peacefully.

When it resumed, the meeting was an hour behind schedule, and Lansing asked for a shortened version of the budget presentation to compensate.

Patrick Lenz, vice president for budget and capital resources, and Nathan Brostrom, executive vice president of business operations, came to present an analysis on how the 2012-2013 budget would affect the UC’s budget for the upcoming year.

Lenz highlighted the key points of the budget affecting the UC and pointed to Brown’s tax measure as a cornerstone of increased funding.

“It is important that we robustly protest the changes to Cal Grant funding and advocate for the governor’s proposed tax initiative,” Lenz told the regents.

Once the meeting had adjourned, Lansing said university police recommended the regents exit the building individually in order not to draw attention from protesters.