UC Berkeley students end hunger strike

[alp227]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

(05-12) 21:23 PDT BERKELEY -- With the blessings of ceremonial dancers, a group of UC Berkeley students ended a 10-day hunger strike Wednesday while negotiators met with the chancellor over the status of illegal immigrants and student demonstrators.

Soon afterward, students and Chancellor Robert Birgenau announced some modest agreements on undocumented university employees and student discipline.

About 20 hunger strikers, mostly students, had camped out in front of the school's administration building since May 3. Their initial protest target was Arizona's new immigration law, which requires police to stop and question anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally.

Birgenau quickly complied with the protesters' first demand - to denounce the law. But he balked at their proposals to declare the campus a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants, rehire laid-off janitors and drop disciplinary charges against students who occupied or vandalized buildings last fall to protest rising fees.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/12/BACU1DDV28.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

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I despise Arizona's new immigration law but would not starve myself for days just over that. I'd need a more local cause too, in this case the laid-off university workers and students punished for protests.

[earcandle]

1. Thank you, you young beautiful people of diversity, wisdom, and clarity. Love, love, love you!