After 17 protesters were arrested earlier this week over UC budget cuts, among other isues, eight demonstrators occupied a fourth-story ledge at UC Berkeley's Wheeler Hall. Riot police were called in to use force on both the building squatters and supporters outside the building. Pepper spray was used against several demonstrators, and some protesters reported being hit with batons.
"All of a sudden, I was surrounded by riot police who were hitting me in the stomach and head," senior Pourya Khademi reveals to the Daily Cal. "Just as I was turning away, another one sprayed me directly in the face."
Some of the protesters' demands were met, but the hefty requests were squashed as expected. "Demands to have student conduct charges dropped and to open a dialogue about the campus Operational Excellence program were partially met, while demands to end budget cuts and to democratize the UC Board of Regents were not."
Here are some images from yesterday's melee shot by local photographer Keoki Seu.
