Oak Grove Tree-Sit, Dec. 2, 2006–Sept. 9, 2008 · Hell’s Angels, Oct. 16, 1965 Couner culturt...
Transcript of Oak Grove Tree-Sit, Dec. 2, 2006–Sept. 9, 2008 · Hell’s Angels, Oct. 16, 1965 Couner culturt...
J. Stitt Wilson: the 1st (and last) Socialist Mayor of Berkeley, April 1, 1911Wilson ran for Berkeley mayor on a platform of city ownership of utilities. After election, his socialist agenda was stymied by a conservative city council, and he declined to run for a second term. 1745 Highland Place (Wilson’s house)
Savio Hauled off the Stage, Dec. 7, 1964After 2 months of FSM protests, strikes, and sit-ins, UC President Clark Kerr called a meeting at the Greek Theatre where he addressed 16,000 students and faculty members. After Kerr spoke, Savio took the stage, but was hauled off by police before he could speak. Greek Theatre
Oak Grove Tree-Sit, Dec. 2, 2006–Sept. 9, 2008Activists took to the trees when plans for a new sports complex included the destruction of a long-standing grove. The protestors likened the tree removal to a hate crime. Ultimately the activists—and the trees—came down, but not before they had accomplished the longest urban tree-sit in history. Student Athlete High Performance Center, SAHPC (formerly the oak grove)
The Fight for Accessibility, 1972 When Ed Roberts applied to UC Berkeley he faced resistance, not because of his qualifica-tions, but because he was quadriplegic. Ulti-mately he was admitted, and he and several other disabled students formed a group called the “Rolling Quads,” which was instrumental in opening up the campus to the severely disabled. Roberts is considered by many to be the father of the disability rights movement. Cowell Hospital (now Haas School of Business)
SLA Kidnaps Patty Hearst, Feb. 4, 1974A left-wing guerrilla group called the Symbio-nese Liberation Army kidnapped 19-year-old Berkeley student and Hearst media empire heiress, Patty Hearst. Just two months later Hearst was photographed wielding a machine gun during an SLA bank heist. 2603 Benvenue Ave. (Hearst’s apt)
The Naked Guy Emerges, 1992Berkeley sophomore Andrew Marti-nez ignited controversy by strolling around campus and attending class in the nude. He was first arrested while jogging naked near the South-side dorms. Southside Dorms
Harry Edwards, 1967Professor Edwards cofounded the Olympic Project for Human Rights in protest of racism in sports. Inspired by Edwards, two Americans, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, raised gloved fists in a Black Power salute (angering many Americans) during their medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympics. Barrows Hall
Strikes for Ethnic Studies, Jan. 22, 1969The Third World Liberation Front, a coalition of minority student groups, initiated a month-long strike demand-ing the establishment of an ethnic studies department at Berkeley. After numerous violent clashes with police and more than 150 arrests, the students succeeded. In March of 1969, UC President Charles Hitch authorized the establishment of the country’s first ethnic studies department. Barrrows Hall (Ethnic Studies dept.)
Cody’s Books Fire Bombed, March 1, 1989An unknown assailant tossed a homemade firebomb through the window of independent bookstore Cody’s Books. It was thought to be a reprisal for a prominent window display of The Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie’s controversial novel that earned the author death threats from radical Muslims. 2454 Telegraph Ave.
First People’s Park Riots, April 20, 1969 A group of a hundred or so activists, resi-dents, merchants, and students laid claim to a rubble-strewn lot owned by UC Berke-ley and named it People’s Park. Haste and Bowditch
The Killing of James Rector, May 15, 1969On “Bloody Thursday,” 2,000– 3,000 protestors clashed w/ police in an attempt to reclaim People’s Park. Bystander James Rector was shot and killed by police. Telegraph Repertory Theatre, 2519 Telegraph Ave.
Vietnam Day Committee Vs. Hell’s Angels, Oct. 16, 1965Counter cultures clashed when the Vietnam Day Committee, an antiwar group founded by Jerry Rubin, organized a march from UC Berkeley to the Oakland army base. After being stopped by police at the Oakland border, the leaders of the march were attacked by a dozen members of the Hell’s Angels. Telegraph Ave. and Woolsey St. (Berkeley/Oakland border)
Campus Bombings, #1: July 2, 1982/#2: May 15, 1985Ted Kaczynski, 26 years after resigning from Berkeley and moving to a remote cabin in Montana, emerged as the anonymous terrorist, the Unabomber. Of 16 attacks, 2 found targets in Berkeley: Diogenes Angelakos, professor emeritus of electronic engineering, and grad student John Hauser were seriously injured in the blasts. Cory Hall
National Guard Helicopter Sprays Students w/Tear Gas, May 20, 1969When several thousand students gathered in Sproul Plaza to mourn James Rector, the National Guard, called in by Gov. Ronald Reagan, sprayed them w/tear gas. The fumes endangered patients at the campus hospital and caused skin burns on swimmers at a nearby swimming pool. Sproul Plaza
Mario Savio’s Speech, Dec. 2, 1964Berkeley philosophy graduate student, political activist, and central figure of the FSM, Mario Savio stood on the steps of Sproul Hall. There he delivered his famous speech to a crowd of several thousand. “There’s a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious … you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop!” Sproul Hall Steps
Occupy Cal Demonstrations, Nov. 9, 2011–March 2012Students and teachers organized a series of protests over tuition increases, mandatory furloughs, firings, and raises for administra-tors. After demonstrators created a human chain in Sproul Plaza, campus police broke up the gath-ering, leading to accusations of excessive force. Sproul Plaza
Radical is a loaded term. It has been used as both tribute and slander to describe everything from people and actions to ideas and the movements they inspire. The word is also relative, revealing as much about the speaker—and the era in which it’s spoken—as it does about its subject. Both the University of California, Berkeley and the city it gave rise to have been labeled “radical,” and both have found themselves in conflict with, or the tar-get of, radical movements and actions. It’s made for an interesting history, an examination of which inevitably leads to the question: What is radical? —Coby McDonald
A Map of Radical BerkeleyActivism to Anarchy
The Death of Rosebud, Aug. 25, 199220-year-old homeless activist Rosebud Denovo was shot dead by police when
she broke into the chancellor’s mansion wielding a machete. A self-professed
anarchist, she had previously been involved in protests over development of
People’s Park and at the time of her death was awaiting trial for explosive
possession. University House
Mob Surrounds Chancellor’s Mansion, Dec. 12, 2009Up to 75 people, some with torches, surrounded chancellor Robert Birgeneau’s residence in pro-test of tuition hikes and layoffs. Chanting, “No justice, no peace,” the mob smashed planters, windows, and light fixtures before being driven off by police. University House
Loyalty Oath Conflict, Aug. 1950In August of 1950, 31 UC professors were fired for refusing to sign an oath pledging loyalty to the U.S. constitution and denying affiliation with subversive groups. Edward Tolman, a professor and a psychologist, helped lead the resistance. He sued the regents, leading to a 1952 deci-sion by the California Supreme Court to reinstate the professors and declare the oath unconstitutional. Tolman Hall
Wheeler Hall OccupationNov. 20, 2009
Shantytown Protests, Mar. 31, 1986800 anti-apartheid demon-strators erected a symbolic shantytown in front of the chancellor’s office to protest UC investment in companies doing business in South Africa. In response to the protests, UC regents eventu-ally voted to divest $3.1 bil-lion in South Africa holdings. California Hall
KPFA, 1949In 1949 the Pacifica Foundation, a pacifist nonprofit, created the country’s first listener-supported radio station. For 60+ years, KPFA has served as a far-left megaphone, but in recent years the station has earned more attention for internal strife than radio content. MLK and Berkeley Way
Purple Haze, Feb. 21, 1965Police raided the home of Berkeley dropout Stanley Owsley, expecting to find a meth lab. All they found in his bathroom lab was LSD, then legal. Owsley supplied huge quantities to the likes of Ken Kesey and his Merry Prank-sters, the Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix (purport-edly “inspired” by Owsley’s drug when he wrote “Purple Haze”). 1647 Virginia St.
Draft Card Burning, May 5, 1965Several hundred Berkeley students marched to the Berkeley Draft Board in protest of the U.S. military occupation of the Dominican Republic. The protesters presented the staff with a black coffin and 40 students burned their draft cards. Bancroft and Fulton
Freshman Anarchist, Feb 28, 1918Berkeley freshman Maurice B. Fruit was arrested for distributing anarchist propaganda. Fruit admitted to being a revolutionary, but had a change of heart after the arrest and was ready to serve the United States if called upon to fight. 2203 Atherton St.
The People’s Republic of BerkeleyIn 1992, the Berkeley City Council declares that Oct. 12 will no longer be celebrated as Columbus Day, but as Indigenous Peo-ples Day. • On Jan. 25, 2008, they declare the Marine Recruitment Center to be “unwelcome visitors” and issue a permit to Code Pink to demonstrate in front of the building. • In 2012, Berkeley becomes the first U.S. city to declare Bisexual Pride Day—Sept. 23. City Hall
Berkeley High School Radical Alumni Bobby Seale (dropped out in ’54): cofounder of the Black Panther Party • John Froines ’57: chemist, anti-war activist, UCLA professor, and one of the Chicago 7 • Bob Avakian ’60: veteran of the FSM, chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party • David Brower ’29: Founder of Friends of the Earth
BLOODY THURSDAY: © STEVEN CLEVENGER/CORBIS; NATL
GUARD: H95.18.969. LONNIE WILSON, UNTITLED (NATIONAL
GUARD HELICOPTER SPRAYING TEAR GAS ON DEMONSTRA-
TORS IN SPROUL PLAZA), 1969. GELATIN SILVER, 11 X 14 IN. THE
OAKLAND TRIBUNE COLLECTION, THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF
CALIFORNIA, GIFT OF ANG NEWSPAPERS.; TREE SIT: AP PHOTO/
BEN MARGOT; NAKED GUY: THE LIFE IMAGES COLLECTION/
GETTY IMAGES; GINSBERG: GETTY IMAGES; OWSLEY: REUTERS;
HEARST KIDNAPPED: AP PHOTO/ANTHONY CAMERANO;
HARRY EDWARDS: AP PHOTO; SAVIO SPEECH: BANCROFT
LIBRARY; SAVIO GREEK: AP PHOTO/ROBERT W. KLEIN; DRAFT
CARD: GETTY IMAGES; OCCUPY CAL: JEFF CHIU/AP; OCCUPY
WHEELER: EDDIE Q. WRIGHT; BROKEN POT: COURTESY OF THE
DAILY CALIFORNIAN; LOYALTY OATH: BANCROFT LIBRARY;
KPFA: KPFA RADIO; PEOPLES REPUBLIC: JOSEPH TESTA; BERKE-
LEY HIGH: AP PHOTO; VIETNAM DAY: © BETTMANN/CORBIS;
ED ROBERTS: UC BERKELEY, UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
40 students barricaded them-selves inside Wheeler Hall to protest layoffs and a 32% tuition increase. The standoff lasted 11 hours until protes-tors were arrested by police. Wheeler Hall
Howl, Draft 3, 1954–55Beat poet Allen Ginsberg wrote the third draft of his epic poem “Howl” while living in a cottage in Berke-ley. It would become his most famous work and the subject of an obscenity trial that would catapult Ginsberg into the public consciousness as a leading radical of his generation. 1624 Milvia St
Barrington Hall Co-op Riot, Mar. 3, 1990A violent melee erupted between Berkeley police and 350 residents of Berkeley’s oldest and largest student-owned cooperative. In the decades since its inception in 1933, the co-op had earned a reputation for left-wing political activ-ism, drug-fueled bacchanals, and wild concerts that helped launch the Bay Area punk scene. At the time of the clash, Barrington Hall was slated for closure due to noise and liability. By the time the melee was over, 17 were arrested and 8 hospitalized. 2315 Dwight Way and Ellsworth