Heavy Security Marks Balloting at UCLA

Amid heavy security, the controversial election for the presidency of UCLA’s undergraduate student government--and a spirited rally protesting that voting as a fraud--were held Thursday without any repetition of the violence that interrupted balloting last week.

The eight polling places on the usually placid Westwood campus were each guarded by two uniformed UC police officers and by four guards from a private security force hired for the election. Voter turnout was larger than expected, given fears of trouble and the fact that many students were either fed up with the electoral confusion or busy preparing for next week’s exams, authorities said. The closely guarded ballots still were being counted late Thursday.

Rally for Activist

The campus appeared calm for most of the day except for a 45-minute rally held by supporters of Lloyd Monserratt, the Latino student activist who won both the primary and run-off elections several weeks ago but was then deemed ineligible by the student council because he allegedly did not have the required number of course credits or high enough grades. Monserratt claims that he does meet those requirements and that he is a victim of bungled paper work and dirty politics; his supporters allege he is a victim of racism.

About 80 protesters, mostly Latino and Asian students, gathered on the steps of Campbell Hall at noontime Thursday before a small crowd of onlookers and a host of reporters and cameramen. Tomas Requejo, a leader of the Latino student organization called MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan), told the gathering that Monserratt’s disqualification was only the latest in a series of what he called “racist attacks” against minorities on campus. He charged that UCLA Chancellor Charles Young has ignored the problems and said the chancellor should resign.

The group then marched to the fountain in front of Franz Hall and chanted, referring to Monserratt, “Who do we want? Lloyd! When do we want him? Now.” They sat down in front of an open-air polling place, face-to-face with about 25 helmeted police and grim-faced security officers. After several speeches against the school’s administration and a few verbal taunts at the officers, most of the protesters lined up to obtain their paper ballots. Most then ripped up the ballots and a few set them afire as onlookers yelled “Burn, baby, burn.”

Vote Goes On

During the rally, a few other students voted despite boos from the crowd. “I’m glad they have their right to protest and I have my right to vote at the same time,” said Kirstin Hoefer, a freshman who said she voted for Mike Meehan, the candidate who lost to Monserratt last month but is considered the current front-runner.

Monserratt later appeared and urged the protesters to remain peaceable. He said he considers himself to be the student president but hopes to work with the winner, especially on issues involving minorities. “This is not the end, this is the beginning,” he said.

Authorities reported no arrests or injuries on Thursday. On May 26, two students were slightly injured and several voting stands destroyed in brawls after a rally by about 200 Monserratt supporters. Officials said they expect several students to be disciplined as a result of that incident.

Turnout About 15%

Brad Taylor, a junior who is chairman of the student election board and who spent the day rushing from poll to poll with a walkie-talkie in hand, estimated that 15% of undergraduates voted in the rescheduled election. That would be less than the 20% who cast ballots before the brawls interrupted the election last week, but a healthy percentage, he said, given the circumstances.

The presidency of UCLA’s undergraduates is a powerful position; its occupant oversees the allotment of hundreds of thousands of dollars for student activities and controls many jobs. Observers say that politics on campus have become increasingly similar to that of a big city, with complicated ethnic alliances and tensions.

Candidate Meehan, who is Anglo, said he was glad that Thursday’s election went smoothly but he conceded that the winner would face political and ethnic unrest. “I think it’s going to be a rough year,” he said.

Tensions rose so high that four student government leaders received threats because of their roles in Monserratt’s disqualification and were provided with bodyguards by campus police last week.