After a sleepout on Sproul, a quiet morning, sprinkled with tents
Vowing to ensure that "the rights of protesters and non-protesters alike are protected," campus administrators took a wait-and-see approach to a small Occupy Cal encampment that sprang up overnight on the steps of Sproul Hall. "It's not about the tents," said one protester. "It's about the cuts in education... [and] our voices being heard."
November 22, 2011
Occupy Cal protesters established a small encampment on Sproul Plaza after dark Monday, with up to 150 students and others spending the night in sleeping bags and a handful in tents. A half-dozen tents were left standing on Tuesday morning.
“It’s not about the tents for us,” one protester, identified as Megan Vrolijk, told KGO-TV. “It’s about the cuts in education, the cuts to public space, that our voices are being heard.”
According to campus spokesperson Dan Mogulof, campus policies prohibiting encampments remain in effect, but will only be implemented if and when they can be managed “in a safe and effective manner.” Meanwhile, UC Berkeley administrators will continue to monitor the situation “to ensure that the rights of protesters and non-protesters alike are protected.”
By 8 a.m. Tuesday, some 20 to 30 students remained on the plaza, which was quiet, as usual, the week of the annual Thanksgiving break.
More: Previous coverage of Occupy protests at UC Berkeley