Students Get Good Marks for Protesting Politely

Pete Torres, house manager of Royce Hall, could hardly believe the final act of 300 boisterous protesters who forced the cancellation of a mayoral debate.

After breaking into UCLA’s performance hall and noisily occupying the building for four hours Wednesday evening, then spilling out into the night declaring victory in their fight to restore affirmative action, many politely returned to tidy the room.

Sweeping through the auditorium with garbage bags, they picked up empty pizza boxes, cups, bottles and every scrap of paper.

This ain’t Berkeley--or even UCLA--in the ‘60s.

“Back then, they bowled over the barricades, they were rowdy,” said Torres, a UCLA employee since the era of student radicalism three decades ago. “This bunch, they make their point, but they seem to be concerned not to do any property damage, let anyone get hurt or make a mess.”

UCLA leaders, in turn, treated the protesters with respect and kept police at bay so as not to provoke them. Unlike their reaction to the last big demonstration, about two years ago, they did not call in LAPD in full riot gear.

Even UCLA Chancellor Albert Carnesale, who was forced to cancel the debate, couldn’t help but offer some praise for the students’ conduct.

“This played out as well as any protest I know of, in producing meaningful discussions, fruitful negotiations and ending peacefully without the need for arrests,” Carnesale said.

“The only blight on the day was their forcing the cancellation of an unrelated event.”

Sounding like a disappointed parent, Carnesale did offer a mild rebuke about the disruption.

“I cannot condone that,” he said. “There were 1,900 people inconvenienced for not being able to attend the debate.”

The day of protests was inspired by Regent William Bagley’s proposal for the UC Board of Regents later this year to repeal UC’s own ban on affirmative action. It’s a symbolic move, given that Proposition 209’s prohibition of racial preferences would continue to prevent any consideration of race or ethnicity in student admissions.

Hundreds of students from UC campuses--and even some high schools--across California converged on UCLA to show their frustration over the policy.

Throughout the day, organizers of the California Statewide Affirmative Action Coalition interrupted chants--”UC Regents, We See Racists”--with instructions to shepherd students from various high schools to appropriate places on campus so they could catch their bus home.

Student protesters provided their own red armband-wearing security force, which had trained for a week and a half and kept safe perimeters around the crowd to prevent anyone’s being trampled.

Organizers had cell phones or wore headsets attached to walkie-talkies. They brought their own lawyer to negotiate terms of arrest, if it came to that. But it never did.

Unlike the practice in decades past, when students tried to disrupt meetings, these protesters signed up to address the regents during the 15 minutes allowed for public comment.

Students again Thursday made their points with passion, but within the three minutes allotted for each speaker.