Protesters storm Murphy, Bunche
600 students rally against decision to end affirmative action;
Young pledges support
ByBrooke Olson
and John Digrado
Daily Bruin Staff
More than 600 students noisily marched through the UCLA campus
Wednesday in protest of Gov. Pete Wilson and the Board of Regents’
decision to end affirmative action.
The students also spoke out against the California Civil Rights
Initiative (CCRI), which would end affirmative action policies in
all state hiring procedures. Yesterday, the initiative garnered the
700,000 signatures needed to place it on the Nov. 15 ballot.
Five hours after the marathon demonstration began, it ended with
150 students holding hands in the middle of Schoenberg Quad. Within
that span, demonstrators occupied two university buildings,
attracted 24 university police officers and presented Chancellor
Charles Young with a list of five demands.
"(The protesters) are here to not only make people aware of what
is occurring, but also to make the regents aware that we will not
stand for the end of affirmative action," said undergraduate
President York Chang. "Without affirmative action, minority
students will not have equal access to education."
However, Regent Ward Connerly, chairman of the CCRI campaign and
the leading voice in the University of California’s
anti-affirmative action movement, downplayed the
demonstrations.
"Things must be awfully slow at campus to protest ballot
signatures being turned in," Connerly said.
The protest began promptly at 11:30 a.m. in Westwood Plaza, with
representatives from various student activist groups speaking on
the necessity of maintaining affirmative action policies.
After the speeches ended, the protesters marched up Bruin Walk
bringing their demonstration to an unexpected halt at Bunche Hall.
All the while, protesters yelled "Education is our right,
affirmative action is our fight" and "Si, se puede."
At 12:40 p.m., about 500 students entered Bunche Hall. For
almost two hours, the demonstrators occupied five floors of the
building, lining the halls and blocking doorways.
Observers watched as protesters struggled for nearly 15 minutes
to hang a mammoth banner protesting CCRI outside the third floor
window of the building.
"I don’t think they have a unified goal. Just the fact that they
can’t get their act together enough to hang a sign says it all,"
said Cosmo Wenman, a fourth-year economics student. "Mock guerrilla
tactics aren’t going to convince anybody. It just makes them look
juvenile."
Although most of the protesting in the building was more vocal
than physical, there were reports of an assault that warranted the
dispatch of 24 university police to the building.
History department dean Ronald Mellor called 911 several times,
claiming that protesters had assaulted him, police said.
"(Mellor) said he was jostled around … and the students were
pounding on his windows," said university police Chief Clarence
Chapman.
Mellor refused to comment on the incident, but did tell police
he will not press charges against the alleged assailants, Chapman
said.
Some protesters, though, denied that Mellor was assaulted.
"(The dean) kept yelling at people and pointing his finger, but
no one was trying to attack him," said Sarah Higginson, a
fourth-year biology student.
Although some faculty members supported the students’ actions,
other professors in the building were irked by the occupation.
"This (activity) is foolish. Politics is about making alliances,
not about extremist behavior," said political science Professor
Richard Anderson. "Bunche Hall is not the site of the problem, and
occupying it (is wrong). This is a mistake."
Students, however, claimed that Bunche Hall was a perfect site
to denounce the regents’ stand on affirmative action.
"This is the main research building," said Briseyda Zarate, a
third-year history and Chicana/o studies student. "It’s a symbol
… we’re taking over this building just like we’re taking over our
education."
Within an hour after the incident, rally organizers decided to
move the protest to Murphy Hall. By then, the group had dwindled to
a noisy crowd of about 250.
Although most of the protesters stopped on the steps outside of
Murphy Hall, five rally organizers went upstairs to present the
list of demands to Chancellor Charles Young.
Included in those five demands were a call for Young to continue
outreach programs, protect minority scholarships, and provide
resources for the student campaign against CCRI.
As students waited for Young’s response, the group moved into
the first floor of Murphy Hall and occupied the main hallway.
Although Young supported the students’ position on affirmative
action, his reception to the demands was less than resounding. He
said that it was the regents’ who had control of the situation and
that he could not override their decision.
"I’ve opposed (the regent’s decision) every step of the way and
made that opposition clear," Young said. "But, the regents have the
right to make that decision and I cannot adopt a policy of
nonimplementation."
Young also said that the university was already supporting
outreach programs.
"I can’t say without talking to other people what the situation
is, but I believe (support for outreach programs) is already being
done," he said.
Young also said there was no need for him to draft a letter
protecting ethnic studies and minority scholarship because there
are no plans to downscale those programs. In response to the
protesters fourth demand, Young said that the regents’ decision
would not affect research programs.
"(The Campus Retention Center) receives their support directly
from the students," said Winston Doby, the vice chancellor of
student affairs. "I think (the center) is insulated completely from
this."
In response to the final demand, Young said that although the
university could not finance an anti-CCRI campaign, he would
actively speak out against the initiative.
Organizers returned to the first floor of Murphy and announced
to the protesters that Young had ultimately agreed to most of their
demands. Within a half hour of the announcement, the group decided
to quietly end the rally with a unity circle in Schoenberg
Quad.
In the rain, the 150 remaining students clasped hands and formed
a large circle in the quad, chanting and cheering the success of
their demonstration.
"We made sure our voices were heard. We have accomplished our
mission," said Max Espinoza, head of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano
de Aztlán. "Four out of the five (demands) were conceded by
Chancellor Young, and he (pledged) his continued support."
Organizers said the protest was the beginning of a long struggle
toward gaining equal access to the university for everyone,
including faculty and students.
"A storm was expected today," Espinoza said. "There was
definitely a storm, and it was (in Murphy Hall)."
SCOTT O/Daily Bruin
Above: Trang Huynh joins the protest. Below: Charles Young reads
students’ demands, presented by student activists (l-r) Max
Espinoza (Chair of MEChA), Valerie Villaraza (Samahang), Shauna
Robinson (ASU president).
FRED HE/Daily Bruin
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