Two Hurt When Car Rams UC Santa Cruz Protesters

Two students were slightly injured Wednesday when a car driven by a 75-year-old man rammed into a line of protesters at the University of California, Santa Cruz, during an anti-apartheid demonstration.

One faculty member and 182 students were arrested in the wake of the protest, as was 75-year-old Santa Cruz County resident Irby Bourriague, who was charged with reckless driving with bodily injury. Bourriague’s vehicle stuck Steve Goodman, 34, and John Pepper, 25, as they were participating in a blockade of the main gate to the campus, according to university spokesman Tom O’Leary.

47 Held at Berkeley

Meanwhile, at the University of California, Berkeley, 47 demonstrators were arrested during the 35th day of anti-apartheid protests.

And, at the University of California, Santa Barbara, 75 demonstrators briefly occupied the chancellor’s office in an anti-apartheid protest.

The protests have centered on the university’s investments in firms that do business in South Africa. The UC Board of Regents is scheduled to discuss that issue Friday at a meeting at Berkeley. On Wednesday, UC President David Gardner said that university regents will hold an additional meeting June 10 at UCLA to get more information and views on the controversial apartheid issue.

About 250 UC Santa Cruz students took part in the protest at the sprawling, wooded campus situated on a hillside overlooking town. They were protesting the fact that the Regents will not vote until next month on whether to dispose of university investments in companies doing business in South Africa. They also were objecting to narrow time limits on speeches at Friday’s regents’ meeting at UC Berkeley, according to Josie Breger, one of the demonstrators arrested.

All of those taken into custody by Santa Cruz police--including Santa Cruz City Councilman Michael Rotkin, a UC Santa Cruz lecturer--were released after being cited for obstructing a public thoroughfare, O’Leary said.

UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Robert Sinsheimer met the crowd at the gate and accused the protesters of “infringing on the rights of others,” although he said their cause is “honorable.”

Office Occupied

At UC Santa Barbara, 75 protesters occupied Chancellor Robert Huttenback’s office in Cheadle Hall after an anti-apartheid rally by 250 students. There were no arrests.

The group requested that Huttenback sign a petition supporting full UC divestment in South Africa. Assistant Chancellor Betsy Watson said Huttenback refused. Huttenback spent about half an hour discussing the issue with the protesters before they left.

Minor damage was reported to papers and to pictures on a wall.