DAVIS—
Update at 9:00PM: Sacramento Police are assisting UC Davis Campus Police in what has turned into a loud and rowdy protest on campus following the news of higher fees for student undergrads. There have been conflicting reports of some arrests made by police. FOX40 News will have the latest on the FOX40 News at 10PM.Original article follows below:
Just over 100 students crammed into Mrak Hall on the campus of UC Davis Thursday afternoon in what could be considered a "fluff protest" against a proposed fee hike compared to the activity at several other UC campuses.
Following the announcement that the University of California Board of Regents overwhelmingly approved hiking undergraduate student fees to more than $2,500 annually, or an increase of 32%, more than 300 UC Davis students gathered in protest at various spots around campus.
The protest at the Davis campus was light compared to a much larger demonstration Wednesday afternoon at UC Berkeley, and an even larger demonstration all day Thursday on the camus of UC Los Angeles. Campus police, LAPD officers wearing riot gear and uniformed California Highway Patrol deputies lined various spots at UCLA in a show of strength against occasionally-rowdy student protesters.
UCLA Campus Police were called to escort at least one UC board member who was swarmed, and eventually cornered, by student protesters as he attempted to leave the school's campus.
A small gathering of a few dozen students sat at the main exit of UCLA's staff parking lot, hoping to prevent regent board members from leaving. FOX40.com's sister station KTLA-TV in Los Angeles reported sightings of students from UC Davis and other schools at the UCLA campus protest. Some UC Davis students told FOX40 News they were planning to carpool to the campus of UC Berkeley for a protest on Thursday.
A source familiar with the UC protests told FOX40.com students from all 10 UC campuses were urged to visit UCLA and UC Berkeley in an attempt to strategically create two large demonstrations, which could explain why the demonstration on the local UC Davis campus Thursday drew meager numbers compared to protests at the other two schools.
Regent board members have expressed sympathy with students over the past few days, but say the funding cuts are necessary to adjust for a drop in state education funding.
