Protesters arrested after disrupting speech
Four pro-affirmative action protesters were arrested Monday
night after interrupting a speech by Chancellor Chang-Lin Tien at
Zellerbach Hall.
The demonstrators, including members of the Coalition to Defend
Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary, shouted at Tien for not
defying a move by the UC Board of Regents to end affirmative action
policies in university hiring and admissions. One of the protesters
was a student, according to police.
The coalition started picketing outside Zellerbach Hall over the
preferences issue before Tien’s speech began.
The admonitions interrupted Tien’s speech for about one minute
before police intervened.
"That is what I love about UC Berkeley  freedom of
speech," Tien said after the outburst, to the applause of audience
members. "But we must also show respect for the ideas of
others."
Tien, actually an outspoken supporter of affirmative action
policies, said during his speech that he considered resigning as
chancellor after the regents repealed affirmative action.
"I was depressed for a week or two," Tien said. "I was debating
whether to resign. But after two weeks, I said, ‘No, I have to do
everything I can to maintain excellence and diversity at UC
Berkeley.’"
The demonstrators were arrested by UC police at 8:40 p.m. and
cited for refusing to leave university property and for disturbing
the peace.
Members of the coalition said they want Tien to refuse to comply
with the regents’ decision and with Proposition 209, a ballot
measure approved in November that bars public institutions from
using race and gender preferences. In December, a federal judge
ordered a preliminary injunction against the proposition, saying
that the law presents an immediate threat to women and minorities
and will probably be ruled unconstitutional. Tien said Monday that
while he supports affirmative action, some societal changes are
"embedded" in the culture and cannot be avoided.
209 may have lost applicants
Fewer black and Native American students applied to UC Berkeley
this year compared to last year, according to admission records,
raising questions about whether the consequences of ending
affirmative action policies may already be taking effect.
This year’s undergraduate pool showed that the total of Native
American applicants dropped by 18 percent, while the number of
black applicants decreased by more than 7 percent.
The data also shows that white and Asian applicants made a
marked increase, with a jump of 7 percent in white applicants and
10 percent in Asian applicants from 1996.
Among this year’s 26,962 applicants, the total number of Latino
students applying for admission increased by 5 percent.
Although admissions officials have said the numbers are not a
radical shift from average fluctuations, they could fuel the
ongoing debate over voter-approved Proposition 209.
"It’s not that students think the campus doesn’t want them,"
said Tom Wood, author of the initiative.
"They are making a practical choice to apply to other campuses
instead."
Passed by California voters in November, Proposition 209 ends
affirmative action programs based on race and gender in
state-funded institutions.
Opponents of the proposition have said it would discourage
minority students from applying to schools like UC Berkeley. The
latest figures appear to support that claim.
Observers from both sides of the debate have indicated they are
uncertain of what the numbers suggest about possible impacts the
proposition may have on potential applicants. Some said yesterday,
however, that they believe students are influenced by the passage
of the initiative.
"I think that the reasons (behind this year’s application
numbers) are complex, but I don’t think they are unrelated," said
political science professor Nadesan Permaul.
Compiled from Daily Bruin wire reports