Report Back From Inside the Occupation of Campbell Hall, UCLA

LOS ANGELES 11/21—Just after midnight in the early
hours of Thursday November 19th a group of about 30
students seized Campbell Hall on the UCLA campus and
began their occupation of the building. The building was
renamed Carter Higgins Hall in honor of the two black liberation
activists who were assassinated by the FBI on the
UCLA campus during the sixties. The takeover was in
response to the current budget crisis and to quote from the
students’ statement, “reaches beyond the Regents, beyond
the criminal budget cuts in Sacramento, beyond the economic
crisis, to the very foundations of our society”.
The takeover was peaceful and without any police
intervention. All entrances were quickly secured and the
students were able to hold the building for the next eighteen
hours. During the occupation one entrance at the top
of the stairs on the third floor was opened at times to
admit supporters and reporters deemed friendly.
This Indymedia reporter was granted access on the
condition of no photographs or video inside the building.
Audio interviews with students were allowed. Inside
the hall a diverse group of students were to be found,
some sleeping, some gathered in discussions, others
simply sharing food and enjoying each others company.
The students had declared the occupation to be a leaderless
action and no spokesperson or media relations person
had been designated. Those guarding the door told me
that I was free to talk anyone who chose to speak with me.
(Edited mp3 files from these interviews to follow in a separate
article.)
The occupation ended Thursday evening when students
by their own decision peacefully left the building in
response to fire and life safety issues raised by the fire marshal.
There were no arrests or conflicts with police during
the de-occupation.