by A
Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 at 3:29 PM
LOS ANGELES – November 21, 2009 – Just after midnight in the early hours of Thursday November 19th a group of about 30 students seized Campbell Hall on the UCLA campus and began their occupation of the building. The building was renamed Carter Higgins Hall in honor of the two black liberation activists who were assassinated by the FBI on the UCLA campus during the sixties. The takeover was in response to the current budget crisis and to quote from the students’ statement; “reaches beyond the Regents, beyond the criminal budget cuts in Sacramento, beyond the economic crisis, to the very foundations of our society”.
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The takeover was peaceful and without any police intervention. All entrances were quickly secured and the students were able to hold the building for the next eighteen hours. During the occupation one entrance at the top of the stairs on the third floor was opened at times to admit supporters and reporters deemed friendly.
This Indymedia reporter was granted access on the condition of no photographs or video on the inside of the building. Audio interviews with students were allowed. Inside the hall a diverse group of students were to be found, some sleeping, some gathered in discussions, others simply sharing food and enjoying each others company.
The students had declared the occupation to be a leaderless action and no spokesperson or media relations person had been designated. Those guarding the door told me that I was free to talk anyone who chose to speak with me. (Edited mp3 files from these interviews to follow in a separate article.)
The occupation ended Thursday evening when students by their own decision peacefully left the building in response to fire and life safety issues raised by the fire marshal. There were no arrests or conflicts with police during the de-occupation.
