UC Student Assoc. Condemns Police Brutality - Demands Charges Dropped, Officers Suspended

Oakland, Ca - Bill Shiebler, President of the University of California Student Association, released the following statement in response to the recent police brutality against students at the UC and the Police Brutality Resolution passed at the UCSA Board on November 18th, 2006:

"The University of California Student Association is concerned about recent events involving police brutality against UC Students. On November 14, 2006 UCLA Campus Police officers used their tasers several times against UCLA student Mostafa Tabatabainejad at Powell Library. Tabatabinejad's repeated cries for mercy were ignored by the police officers who continued tasering him even after he was handcuffed and displayed no acts of aggression. Other concerned UCLA students who were present at the scene and seeking public information from the officers were also threatened with violence.

"On October 18, 2006 during a demonstration at UC Santa Cruz the police used batons and pepper sprays indiscriminately and without warning against students. Multiple students sustained injuries and had to be treated on the spot for eye irritation due to pepper spray use, and at least one student's head was bloodied from baton injuries. In addition, another student was dragged on the ground, sustaining cement burns and three individuals were grabbed and detained by the police for hours inside a school building. Two students and an alumnus were charged with "resisting arrest," and multiple felony assault charges were brought against a single African-American Santa Cruz student named Alette Kendrick. Mostafa Tabatabainejad is of Iranian ethnicity and Alette Kendrick is an African American female and circumstances in both incidents suggest racial targeting on the part of the police.

"UCLA is facing a law suit stemming from excessive police force and racial targeting. UCLA students have demanded a full investigation into the incident occurred at the Powell Library. On November 17th students staged a large demonstration demanding an independent investigation, the dropping of all charges against the students and the suspension of the officers involved. UCLA Acting Chancellor Norman Abrams has agreed to an outside investigation, however, as of now there are no indications of any student involvement in such an investigation.

"On October 19th UCSC GSA voted to urge the city and campus authorities to drop all charges against the "Santa Cruz Three" and urge UCSC Chancellor Blumenthal "not to pursue any kind academic disciplinary action toward the students who were detained". Students at UCSC held a rally on October 20th denouncing police brutality and demanding that the charges against the Santa Cruz Three be dropped. And on October 25th, AS UCSB passed a resolution calling for an immediate investigation and expressed "solidarity with the students of UC Santa Cruz".

"UCSA demands the dropping of all legal charges and academic punishments against UC students Mostafa Tabatabinejad, Alette Kendrick, Steve Stormoen and UC alumnus Tanith Thole and the immediate suspension of all officers involved in the two incidents against whom there exists documented evidence showing use of force against students and third party investigations acceptable to and approved by student governments of the two respective campuses. The investigations be conducted in a professional and speedy fashion and findings be presented at the earliest available time with the final presentation not be made any later than the end of the academic year 2006-2007 and the findings of the investigation be made public and placed on the Internet.

"Lastly, the UC Regents should authorize an additional, internal, system-wide committee be immediately formed to review Policies concerning possession and usage of weapons by University Police and Policies concerning hiring, training and performance evaluation of the conduct of University Police officers with the goal of absolutely eliminating any unnecessary use of force on campuses. This internal system-wide committee should have guaranteed significant and meaningful student representation, including voting rights."

See the Police Brutality Resolution at http://www.ucsa.org.



The University of California Student Association is the official voice of over 200,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from the ten UC campuses. It is our mission to advocate on behalf of current and future students for the accessibility, affordability, and quality of the University of California system.

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