Tag: protests

gaza protests on the quad

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Protest camp at UCD Quad 050724 sm

As on many campuses, here on the UC Davis Quad a group of students protesting the events in Gaza has set up camp over the past few weeks. It’s a closed off encampment with a big fence around it, unlike the Occupy camp back in 2011. So far it’s remained peaceful, and I hope it stays so. I did a quick sketch of it from the MU; while I sketched, another group set up a long banner in opposition, highlighting the hostages still held after the events on October 7 in Israel. There was a news reporter there, we had helicopters above for a bit. It remained peaceful though, and I hope it stays so, they have a right to protest. Although there have been acts of vandalism across campus, and I’m hoping that it does not attract groups intent on just causing trouble, as we’ve seen elsewhere. Still I had to sketch the camp, documentation of another moment in the campus’s history, it’s all important and there will be more moments. The Whole Earth Festival was scheduled not long after this, that’s usually on the Quad but they decided to move it this year out to Russell Field (not as much shade there).

what a catalyst you turned out to be

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uc davis student general assembly crop
After the Pepper-Spray, the reaction. UC Davis students, faculty, alumni, staff, all have discussed and debated last Friday’s events, while Chancellor Katehi, who has been called on to resign, has publicly apologized and started a series of dialogues with students, something they feel they did not have before. The camp is back, bigger and much more organized, and peaceful, civil protest is the order of the day. No signs of police around, though there were quite a few Facilities trucks casually dotted about campus. On Tuesday lunchtime’s General Assembly, which preceded a town-hall event in the evening, students debated the role of the chancellor among many other things, as they tried to bring the focus back to what they were originally protesting, the recent large hikes in tuition. I recorded this important event for UC Davis in my sketchbook. A photo of me sketching even emerged later on Twitter:


(photo courtesy of Kirby Araullo)

I couldn’t resist sketching more, as the Occupy UC Davis camp grew, so I came back today (Wednesday). As my sketchbook came out, the Chancellor arrived, bringing food to the protesters. I took the opportunity for some people sketching, and while she spoke to a small group of students, along with a set of news reporters, I sketched her. She got to see it, and I think she liked it (she did comment on the nose though) but she was pretty busy so I didn’t have her sign it. As I sketched, another student questioned her on a range of issues, so I sketched her too (she’s below left; Chancellor Katehi is below right).

at occupy uc davischancellor katehi of uc davis

One news reporter who I recognized from local TV, Chris riva, commented too on my Katehi drawing, so I asked if I could sketch him. I’m not sure he liked the sketch, but I had him sign his name on it. I’m glad I did; I thought he was Dale Schornack! (another local TV news guy) Whoops. He’s below left. Below right is someone who just happened to be there, Anna-Lisa from Chronicle Books. She saw me sketching in my Moleskines and, since she works for those who distribute Moleys, gave me the brand new Moleskine pen! I’m yet to use it (it’s apparently designed specifically for Moleskine paper, but doesn’t take a watercolour wash).
chris riva of kcra newsanna sandstrom of chronicle books

There were lots of people from outside UC Davis who had come along to see events take shape, and offer support and solidarity to the students. The protests are gathering in strength, and much-needed dialogue is finally taking place. I hope it all stays peaceful and productive.

but you didn’t take a peek in their artillery room

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UC Davis protests (the day before the pepper spray incident)

You’ve probably heard about Friday’s events on the UC Davis campus. I sketched this on Thursday, at a demonstration that was beginning at the Quad, the latest in a series of Occupy-style protests on the UC Davis campus, aimed primarily at the university’s recent policy of massive tuition increases. The crowd, which was fairly sizeable but not huge, listened to speeches by students either directly affected or in support of the protest at the fee increases. I sketched quickly, but they moved on. It was all very peaceful. They moved across campus, and then returned to the Quad later on where some students pitched tents in occupation. The university authorities weren’t happy about that, and asked them to leave by Friday afternoon.

This is what happened next: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12XdQXvrdCo&feature=share (Aggie TV news report)

It has not gone unnoticed, shall we say. A demonstration is taking place right now where students are deciding what happens next. I can’t be there to sketch any of it, but I’m following it on the California Aggie’s Twitter feed. Friday’s video of the policeman deliberately pepper-spraying seated students is not something our campus can be proud of, and I have no idea the extent of the damage this will ultimately cause us, but I must say that I do feel quite enormously proud of our students right now.