Protests 4 March 2010
Sather Gate, blocked by protestors. I took a break from work to go see what they were up to.
A little closer up, the left side of Sather Gate. This photo makes it look like a big crowd, compared to the previous one taken at roughly the same time. Note that most of the heads are facing toward the gate - most of these folks are watching the protest, not participants in it.
The right side, & the protestor perched there, preparing a banner for hoisting.
I decided to hop down from my own perch in front of the Golden Bear & go around to the back side of the protest. Besides the double line of protestors at the gate itself, there were very few people on this side. Every few minutes, a small parade with a banner of their own marched in from a path off to the side, crowded up to the line at the gate, roused the people on the other side for a minute or two, then returned to their starting place.
Meanwhile, since the students couldn't cross the bridge at Sather Gate, they were crossing the small creek just a few feet West of the bridge. I took some pictures, then walked a hundred or so yards farther West to use the next available bridge.
Later in the day, at lunch time, I went out to see how the protests were getting on & followed the sound of music to Lower Sproul to find a UC Jazz Ensemble playing.
Then I went back to Sather Gate & found the last particpants of the earlier protest rolling up their signs in very orderly fashion.
Meanwhile, near the other end of Sproul, protestors were assembling at Bancroft & Telegraph.
I just really like skulls.
This was a much more impressive turnout than the group at Sather Gate less than two hours before. But that makes sense - this is the big gathering, presumably about to march to downtown Oakland to join other groups.
Yep, this is Berkeley.
Meanwhile, on the level above the Bear's Lair food court, just for the sake of comparison. Some folks are gathering to protest. Some are playing, & listening to, jazz. Some are just living, in the otherwise unused spaces.