By Khalida Sarwari
Classes at University of California at Santa Cruz are back in session today after Thursday’s demonstration shut down several classes and services, a university spokesman said.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered early Thursday morning to block people from entering at the campus’ two entrances as part of a statewide “Day of Action” protesting cuts to public education.
University spokesman Jim Burns said the demonstration impacted the university’s dining, transportation, and child care services. Of the three, dining services were still not fully operation as of this morning.
“The important thing is all of our students are able to get to their classes,” Burns said.
Thursday’s demonstration resulted in canceled classes and one dramatic off-campus incident when some students broke the rear windshield of a car attempting to break through a picket line.
In a statement posted on the university’s Web site Thursday morning, Provost David Kliger said the school had received reports of protesters carrying clubs and knives and smashing a car windshield with a metal pipe.
Kliger said there were also reports that the protesters had prevented a resident of faculty/student housing from leaving the campus and had blocked a health care worker from getting to work.
He called the protesters’ behavior “disruptive, intimidating and destructive.”
However, Christopher Barkan, a graduate student serving as a media contact for the students, said reports from the university were exaggerated and that the protest was actually peaceful and nonviolent.
Another student, Sam Novey, said it appeared to him the driver of the car had provoked the incident.
“I personally witnessed a car accelerate into a crowd of people and run over one man’s foot,” Novey said. “I was absolutely shocked.”
Reflecting on the effectiveness of the demonstration, Novey acknowledged that class cancellations and inaccessibility of food left some students displeased. Overall, however, he said the response was generally positive, because it encouraged activism and political and social awareness.
“Spirits were high, and I saw a lot of really wonderful displays of camaraderie,” Novey said.
Protesters remained at the base of the campus until about 7 p.m. Thursday to discuss solutions and their next step of action.
Burns said he was not aware of any events planned for today.