Art classes will be led by Rosey, a founder and longtime resident of People’s Park. The classes are free and we’ll provide a basic supply kit (including pencils, charcoal, paper, a drawing board, erasers, and potentially some other goodies) to anyone who can’t afford or access their own supplies, no questions asked. We’ll meet every Thursday afternoon at the Park from 2–4pm, which includes a 30 minute lecture section where we’ll observe and learn techniques, a 30 minute lab section where we’ll practice specific techniques, and an hour-long workshop section where we’ll practice putting all our skills together. You can attend every class to gradually develop your art skills, or just drop in when you feel like it!
We welcome people of any age, skill level, ability, race, and gender. Come out and join the People’s Park community! <3
All classes will be outdoors and social-distanced. We ask all participants to double mask and avoid sharing supplies. The first class will be Thursday 03/11.
February 26, 2021, 07:00 to 08:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
UC Berkeley’s plan to build a 17-story high rise on People’s Park, which would destroy the historic and cultural legacy and an irreplaceable natural environment, has brought together writers, historians, students and park activists to oppose this ill-considered project.
This Zoom event, hosted by the People’s Park Historic District Advocacy Group, will present the historic background of the park, give details on the effort to recognize its national landmark status, and share plans for revitalizing this invaluable public open space.
The goal of this meeting is to develop strategies for taking our message to the broader Berkeley community, as well as the mayor, city council, UC Berkeley, state legislature and regents.
Presenters to include:
Tom Dalzell – author of The Battle for People’s Park, Berkeley 1969
Steve Wasserman – Participant and Activist during 1969
Max Ventura – People’s Park Committee
Aidan Hill – Former Berkeley Mayoral Candidate/UCB Student
Details:
Length of event: hour and a half
Introductory remarks and moderator – Harvey Smith
Each presentation 8 minutes with 4 minutes of submitted questions
Group discussion following and additional questions from viewers
Closing remarks – Harvey Smith
Topic: People’s Park
Date: February 26, 2021, 07:00 to 08:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 827 7345 3022 Passcode: 680198 One tap mobile +16699006833,,82773453022#,,,,680198#US (San Jose) +12532158782,,82773453022#,,,,680198#US (Tacoma)
On behalf of the people of Berkeley and the claimant People’s Park Council, Attorney at Law David L. Axelrod has delivered the Demand of People’s Park Council Regarding Status and Protection of the Park to Carol T. Christ, Office of Chancellor, University of California Administration, Hon. Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, and Hon. Michael V. Drake, M.D., President, University of California.
January 29, 2021 — A large rally, mostly University of California, Berkeley students, and many Berkeley residents, all advocates of People’s Park, gathered at the park on Friday afternoon and delivered a set of rousing speeches, eloquent, educational, historical, spanning generations, inspiring in their ideals and vitality. Social justice was a key theme. The Park had about a third of it’s area blocked off with chain link fence for weeks and students and park users were outraged at the ongoing attempts of UC Berkeley to take away a large part of the historical and living park, a landmark of social justice and people power. The park is a significant and valuable cultural resource, hosting many concerts, social gatherings, educational and recreational activities, sports, community gardening, diverse groves of trees and plants, charitable outreach, and more throughout the year. The park is a creative collaboration of students, faculty, and residents of Berkeley, living and breathing the oxygen of ideas in a public open green space.
At the conclusion of the speeches on behalf of protecting the park from unwanted development, an unexpected and brilliant spontaneous outpouring of action was suddenly engaged and the crowd took to dismantling the chain link fence, efficiently taking it down, and carrying a number of the fence sections in a rousing parade down Telegraph Avenue, chanting, “Whose park? People’s Park!”. The fencing and protest signs were deposited on the steps of the Sproul Hall administration building as a strong message to the University to stop any development of buildings in People’s Park.
The next morning, trucks were seen taking away the fencing from the park. The people, from all walks of life, made a strong statement, once again, in defense of the Park and the park community, and will continue to work to enhance the People’s Park and bring people together to learn and share in the public space in collaboration with nature’s healing power.
Below are are a few photos and videos from the fence removal part of the event. If there are videos or transcripts of the excellent speeches, this site would be happy to post them here. Please contact: greg@imaja.com.
An update and appeal to Berkeley and the University of California, Berkeley
The precious People’s Park, open space and community gathering place, is at imminent risk of destruction in January 2021. A huge part of the park has been shut down with chain link fence and survellience lights at night. The perpetrators of the chain link fence attack, connected with opportunistic profiteers from the University, developers, construction industry, and others, are clearly using the inclement weather and pandemic situation to attack the precious open space and gathering place of People’s Park with the least amount of pushback from the many users of the park. Numerous houseless people are camped in or beside the park during the pandemic and stormy wet winter weather, with numerous outside organizations and individuals helping park people to get by in decency, given the dire situation.
I remember years ago, my dear friend C and I visited the park in a winter rain. She was a medical student at the time, and we were really enjoying the open space, a relief for our stressed times. It was around the time I grew a bed of astounding 13-foot tall corn in the West side community garden beds of People’s Park. We climbed the great low branches and enjoyed the brisk air and wet colors. It was like today when I visited People’s Park, lush white Cala lilies happily growing into the cool showers.
To think that this park, the historical People’s Park, this vibrant community gathering place, People’s Park, the collective treasure chest of memories of people with vision, People Park, to think that this park could be reduced or damaged or eliminated by the University and it’s cohorts in development, construction and real estate, breaks our hearts. We’ve worked hard to garden, to tend the trees, to fill the air with music, dance and art, history and community, in this public space. To lose this green space would be a tragic loss, caused by destructive profiteering forces.
The pathological, toxic roads and numerous parked cars are an indicator of how deluded our society has become. People spend so much time on computer or television screens, partly because the environment outside their own doors is so absurdly destroyed to make way for cars and parking spots, and not for people. We want to go to a park to escape the visual and noise pollution of cars everywhere, a public gathering place where we could enjoy gardens, music, sports, a picnic in the sun. How can it be that Berkeley might lose another park, People’s Park?
I hope all parties involved in any development consider the social value of the special open space in People’s Park, a real direct tangible value to people in the neighborhood, throughout town, and for students, a value that brings people together from all walks of life, and work to protect that open space, the open public culture, and the history. There are several other effective solutions for building student housing, affordable housing, or other structures in many parts of Berkeley, so let us protect this precious remaining open space.
— Greg Jalbert, January 27, 2021
Rally to Save People’s Park
Friday, 3 PM, January 29, 2021
Stand in solidarity with our unhoused neighbors in preventing displacement. Fences are being built to prevent people from using People’s Park.
Instagram: @peoplesparkberkeley Tag photos with #peoplesparkberkeley Text SAVETHEPARK to 81257
Poster:
Get Involved
Join the Discussion Group and Facebook groups for People’s Park and get the latest news, participate, and support this wonderful community resource. Connect here on the Contact page >
Photos of People’s Park areas enclosed by chain link fence, January 27, 2021. Stop the theft of People’s Park open community green space!
Chain link fence at People’s Park, South East corner, January 27, 2021Chain link fence at People’s Park, North side, January 27, 2021Chain link fence at People’s Park, looking North East, January 27, 2021Save People’s Park: Protect this precious Berkeley open space from developer profiteering
The Regents of the University of California FINANCE AND CAPITAL STRATEGIES COMMITTEE March 18, 2020 Centennial Ballroom A&B, Luskin Conference Center, Los Angeles Campus Consent Agenda: A. Preliminary Plans Funding, PEOPLE’S PARK HOUSING, Berkeley Campus …
* IMPORTANT: UPDATE MARCH 2020 REGENTS MEETING WILL BE HELD ENTIRELY AS A TELECONFERENCE – TO REDUCE RISKS RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)*
Meetings of The Regents of the University of California and its committees are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 17-19, 2020, by teleconference. Please note that all times indicated and the order of business are approximate and subject to change.
Ed Monroe addresses the crowd of protesters on Sproul Plaza urging them to protect People’s Park. 2/10/20Aidan Hill asks UC students to save our green space in this time of climate change.
We wish to inform you of an important upcoming event this Sunday, April 28, at the start of the 50th Anniversary Concert for People’s Park at 12pm noon.
The People’s Park Committee and the People’s Park Community are pleased to announce a new, improved People’s Park FreeBox. The FreeBox is a dedicated facility for accepting and distributing donations of clothing, bedding, and other items, freely available to those in need.
A longtime People’s Park tradition, the FreeBox has been replaced and rebuilt many times, but, unfortunately, there has been no such accomodation for donations in the Park for several years now. The new FreeBox, created and donated by UC Berkeley students involved in organizing to save the Park, will be the largest yet.
Please join us on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 12 noon for a short ceremony and ribbon cutting, inaugurating the new, improved FreeBox at the beginning of the People’s Park 50th Anniversary concert event. We invite you, or anyone else who may be available, to come and report on this historic dedication and event.
Best regards, The People’s Park Committee and the People’s Park Community
The History and Struggle for People’s Park Panel and Q&A Discussion Wednesday, February 27, 2019, 7pm–9pm UC Berkeley, MLK Student Union, Stephens Lounge, 3rd floor
Jim Chanin – American civil rights attorney, and former member of the City of Berkeley/University of California Committee around Berkeley’s People’s Park, from 1990 to 1994.
Dan Siegel – American civil rights attorney, former student activist and leader in Students for a Democratic Society from 1967-1970 while at University of California, Berkeley’s School of Law.
Carol Denney – Award-winning musician, published poet, “Fiddlers for Peace” founder, curator of the “Deep Poetry Project”, and editor of the Pepper Spray Times. 2004 honoree by the City of Berkeley for homeless advocacy, 2003 honoree for civil liberties activism by the Berkeley Commission on the Status of Women, People’s Park SLAPP-suit defendant.
Joe Liesner – East Bay Food Not Bombs member and activist
Andrea Pritchett – founding member of Berkeley Copwatch, and Berkeley Police Review Commissioner
Musical Performance: Hali Hammer – award winning singer-songwriter
Co-Sponsoring Organizations: People’s Park Committee, Berkeley Copwatch, Food Not Bombs, Students Against Fascism and War, Green Party at Berkeley, Bay Area Landless People’s Alliance, Berkeley East Bay Grey Panthers, Neither Here Nor There, Berkeley Friends on Wheels, The United Front Against Displacement
Protect Our Green Space, Trees, Community, Historical Landmark, Free Speech, Social Justice, Civil Rights, Gardens, Music, Art, Style, Freebox, Recreation, Climate, Ecology, Education, Sports, Health, User-developed Park
The 50th Anniversary of People’s Park will be celebrated in April 2019 with several events and two concerts in the park.
