The history of People’s Park in Berkeley is full of fences and protest.
The 2.8-acre plot, just south of UC Berkeley’s campus, was originally bought by the University of California regents in 1969 via eminent domain for the construction of sports fields and student housing. But the lot sat empty for several years before a group of community members claimed it as an unofficial public park, giving it a name reflecting that vision.
But in 1969, the university put up a fence around the park and prepared to begin construction. The ensuing clash between police and protesters became known as “Bloody Thursday,” leaving one man dead and several others wounded.
Over the years, People’s Park has hosted community events, protests and performances, and become a refuge for many unhoused people. The city of Berkeley declared the site a landmark in 1984.
But as it did more than half a century ago, the park remains a battleground between community activists and the university, which still owns the land and is intent on using it to develop what, they argue, is desperately needed student housing.
Last summer, the university erected fencing (sound familiar?) and brought in construction vehicles, which protesters — again — immediately destroyed. A judge then temporarily postponed any new development until further review.
Since then, the ongoing battle has circulated through the legal system, with a state appeals court in February ruling that the university ran afoul of a state environmental law — effectively blocking construction until those violations are addressed.
The university has vowed to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court, with the future of the park still very much in limbo.
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