A student protest about budget cuts and tuition hikes yesterday on the Cal campus ended in scuffles and two arrests. Hundreds of students marched on the campus and then occupied Tolman Hall. The students were dispersed at around 9 p.m. last night.
Drew Phillips, 25, was arrested at Tolman Hall for battery on a peace officer with injury, wearing a mask in a commission of a crime and resisting arrest. Phillips had allegedly grabbed a magazine clip from UC Police Officer Donna Chapman. He was taken to the lockup at the Berkeley Police Department. Richard Clemons, 30, was arrested on suspicion of battery on a peace officer with injury and resisting arrest at Tolman Hall. The arrest occurred after chunks of concrete and a chair were thrown at officers. He was taken to Santa Rita jail.
According to the comprehensive reports in the Daily Cal, the protests had been noisy but peaceful throughout the day. The demonstrators had occupied parts of Tolman Hall for over seven hours. The scuffles erupted when police attempted to prevent other demonstrators from entering the building. Tolman Hall has been designated as seismically unsafe and is not used for classrooms.
The UC Board of Regents is considering a plan that would increase tuition to $22,000 by 2015.
