Why is SFSU fining activists?

[Hannah Bell]

Eleven students who occupied the business administration building at San Francisco State University (SFSU) last December are being told to pay a fine for their actions--amounting to the cost to the school for bringing in riot police to break up the occupation.

The occupation was organized to protest budget cuts, furloughs for SFSU faculty and fee hikes for students. Some 14 students barricaded themselves inside the building, while large numbers of supporters--reaching 300 at one point--ringed the building outside. Around 24 hours after it began, police clad in riot gear burst into the building with guns drawn and removed the occupiers.





The arrested students met with Dean of Student Judicial Affairs Donna Cunningham and Dean of Student Affairs Will Flowers. At this meeting, they signed an agreement which was proposed to them as a "means of peace and security from false charges and accusations."

Absurdly, SFSU administration is now demanding that the signatories of this contract collectively pay a fine of $8,186--in order to pay the bill for the riot police who pointed loaded guns at them...


http://socialistworker.org/2010/04/06/why-is-sfsu-fining-activists

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. Was the school charged for the police intervention?

If not, where did that specific figure come from? Its not like the school is going to cut a check to SFPD if they were not billed. Then again, its not like college admins don't do dumb things sometimes. I if anyone should know that