Early on Wednesday morning, construction crews backed by riot police and private security entered People's Park in Berkeley, California to begin construction of a student housing project, which if completed, would bring an end to the autonomous park which began over 53 years ago. In response, park defenders and Berkeley community members mobilized, and over...

In the early morning of Wednesday, UC police blocked off streets surrounding People’s Park, began construction of a large fence around the perimeter of the park and began cutting down trees. Over the next several hours, more police and security arrived as park defenders inside the fenced off area attempted to block destruction of park infrastructure while encouraging supporters to rally in protest.