By the time the throng of protesters made their way up Bruin Walk and to the doors of Murphy Hall on Thursday, it became clear that they wanted one thing: a meeting with the chancellor.
A mix of approximately 400 concerned faculty, workers and students joining in a UC-wide walkout were halted immediately by university police when they arrived at Murphy. The break came after an hour under the beating sun in Bruin Plaza, where the walkout ““ which occurred at all 10 UC campuses ““ began at noon.
Despite police blocking the hall’s entrance on the north side of the building, a smaller group of students were nonetheless able to find their way inside.
Alejandra Cruz, a third-year law student, for instance, simply took the side door. Cruz enacted a “sit-in” at the chancellor’s office, where she and other students waited patiently in order to request an audience with Block.
“The point of contention between us and the administration originally was our interest in having a meeting where all groups were represented,” Cruz said.
She called the day “a big success” despite the chancellor’s absence. Robert Samuels, a lecturer in the UCLA Writing Programs and president of the University Council-American Federation of Teachers, led the group of protesters from Bruin Plaza and announced that Block was not present.
Since Block was off campus, his staff representative was able to speak with a select group of protesters to listen to their demands. The representative spoke with Cruz and other faculty members, workers and students, including Susan Li, the external vice president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council. Li and the other USAC representatives at the walkout asked fellow protesters to sign a resolution they drafted in support of it.
“We were able to get the chancellor to agree to a meeting with three graduate student representatives, three undergraduate student representatives, three union representatives and three faculty representatives,” Cruz said.
The meeting with Block is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Oct. 6.
Cruz said she was pleased that representatives “from the entire campus community” could be present at the meeting.
“We were able to express the whole diverse range of what this will mean if these cuts, these furloughs (continue),” she said.
But the conclusion of the day’s events didn’t come easily.
Staff representatives such as Sondra Hale, a professor in the anthropology and women’s studies departments, voiced concern over the recent faculty furloughs, increased student fees and the continued cuts to the UC budget.
Referring to the protest, Hale and other speakers endorsed the “day of action.”
In the weeks leading up to the Oct. 6 meeting with Block, protesters will meet to strategize.
With reports from Laura Belyavski and Samantha Schaefer, Bruin senior staff.