Student protesters were pepper sprayed, hit with batons, tackled, and arrested today at the City College of San Francisco’s main campus. The students were protesting the presence of Special Trustee Robert Agrella, tasked by the state authorities with saving the college, usurping the authority of its locally elected Board of Trustees. City College of San Francisco was told by its accreditors, the ACCJC, that it would lose its accreditation by this summer — a move that would force the school to close.
Early reports from the scene say two were detained. Alex Emslie of KQED, who was at the scene, reported one of those detained was a student named Dimitrious Ghilliou.
“Some students were pepper sprayed, some were clubbed,” City College Student Trustee Shanell Williams told the Guardian. “This is unacceptable, and really fucked up.”
CCSF student Dimitrious Ghilliou a 21yr English major who was detained, chocked and pepper-sprayed by SFPD gives his account of the incident in the video below.
Melee at #CCSF as students and teachers attempt to enter admin building. At least 1 violent detention of student pic.twitter.com/AybD01xvCe
— Alex Emslie (@SFNewsReporter) March 13, 2014
City College faculty and union president Alisa Messer said there are now over a dozen students in Conlan Hall, the administrative building in City College’s main campus, which also houses Argella’s office. The students intend on camping all night if they have to, they said. The students remaining in sit-ins both inside and outside the building have made two demands: the immediate resignation of special trustee Robert Agrella and ending the student payment plan, which requires that out-of-state students pay all tuition upfront at the beginning of the semester. This has been difficult for low-income students and undocumented students, who typically don’t have California residency and are considered out of state.
#SaveCCSF I’m inside Conlan Hall with #CCSF students doing a #Sit-in. Come on down! pic.twitter.com/h8C6Mrd5EN
— Smedley Butler (@Smedley_Butler) March 13, 2014
Haley Garabato, a San Francisco resident and student at CCSF, is one of about 18 students now inside the lobby of the building. “I pushed my way through,” she said. She also reported seeing students being hit by batons and that officers, at one point, arrived on the scene in full riot gear. The students, who have been inside the building for nearly an hour and a half now, are making posters with slogans on them and snacking on whatever food they have in their bags, said Garabato. There are no serious injuries among the group inside and they intend to stay there “all night if we have to,” she said, until their demands are met.
#CCSF Admin response to student rally today pic.twitter.com/YiUZfm7z1o
— T Cunningham (@comotevas) March 13, 2014
Another pic of clash between students and police at #CCSF this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/CVrQd8cPJ0
— Alex Emslie (@SFNewsReporter) March 13, 2014
This article was originally published on Revolution News.