Security at Protests

I am proud of the fight back students and workers have put up against the Regents and other millionaires who are attempting to privitize education. I hope this piece on security helps to further that discussion and air out disagreements we have on how we protect our comrades in the struggle.

Solidarity,
Julia

Security in Protests

The strength that students showed in this fight has re-invigorated a movement and shown the bosses and politicians- intent on privatizing education- that there will be a fight back. I am so proud to have been part of the protest Wednesday and Thursday and see so many people take steps of courage and daring to defy the police, politicians and all those who said there is no use. These days have been a great step forward in the fight for public education.

In participating at Wednesday’s action there was an effort by students to use a myriad of tactics. Some students wanted to storm the building. Others did not want to risk arrest and preferred to stay outside. Regardless of tactics students participated in challenging the Regents. A pivotal moment was when a student leaped over the barricades and threw open the door of Covel in spite of police presence. This began a storm for the door where students pushed back against police. Many students suffered taser hits and police brutality while trying to get into the building. Then a group of students with red armbands and white shirts linked arms together and proceeded to push the crowd down the stairs away from the building. They gave many excuses, " the Regents can hear you better down the stairs" ( as opposed to trying to still get in the door), " we will be on t.v. if we go down the stairs" etc. There were also students prepared to do civil disobedience and not move. They were threatened by the students themselves with arrest. That same night there was a discussion about that and the majority of students present voted for a disruption of the Regents meeting. However, one of the same people in that meeting played a role in " security" on Thursday.

On Thursday’s action at UCLA. These people were not elected by the majority of students. These students took it upon themselves to stand in front of the police to “protect” the students. They wore red arm bands and white shirts. What they did this day was to stand as a barrier between the cops and the protesters for our “protection” before the protest started. So instead of students pushing back against the cops like what happened on Wednesday activists did not want to push against people who look like us and it tamed the event.

They were a barrier for students to enter the building. They were a barrier for students to challenge the police. They helped the Regents meeting continue without a challenge. As a consequence the Regents were able to vote for the tuition increase with the assistance of so-called “security”.

I wonder who these people are. What organization are they part of? A so-called security member is the USAC president Cynthia Flores who sat on a panel with the Chancellor of UCLA today! In the end, it was an undemocratic maneuver by whatever group got them together and put them at the front of the line. In fact, one the members of the line was part was present at a meeting the night before where representatives of student groups and unions agreed to support disrupting the Regents meeting and she voted for it! How dishonest!

Even worse many of this self-elected student security at times threw crowds into hysteria by shouting for example that students would get arrested if they remained at Covel. This was even before students began to take over the parking lots which really could cause one to get arrested. This was while UCPD was chatting with students and the crowds of people had already gone to parking lots entrances or surrounded the van with the crooked Regents. Yelling out that people will get arrested even if there is no police activity or formations of any kind is manipulative. On the one hand, it can serve to dissipate a crowd that is really not in jeopardy of arrest. This group of people played a destructive role at the protest and did not secure anyone but the Regents. The police were still violent and even pepper sprayed one of their members. This was one of many violent and cowardly acts committed by the police. We can not stand for this to happen and defend those students who were attacked without question. We need a security force of a different kind.

What protest security should be
Security at a protest should serve the needs of helping to keep people safe with allowing the decisions of the protesters to continue. An effective security measure for example was distributing handkerchiefs soaked in vinegar to protect against teargas. Another example, a sister gave out the number for the National Lawyers Guild for those who decide to get arrested. This gave the students security without creating panic. A security group could monitor police conduct and formations. They could alert protesters to police tricks.

For example, at UCLA while the Regents were surrounded in the van the police made a formation from the van to Sproul Hall to protect the Regents from being surrounded and alone. If there was a designated security force it would have been watching this formation and told students to react accordingly and keep the police from being able to do that or to have protesters positioned in Sproul Hall to wait for them there. Security can dress appropriately and study first aid as well as serve as a line of defense to push the police back or fall back behind protesters. This group needs to be elected by the student body either in a General Assembly or organizing meetings at the protest and knowledgeable of the tactics involved in the protest to help assist them rather than destroy them- an act all these so-called self-elected members of security played.

Security is important. However, a self-elected group of students who block activists from entering the building for their own “safety” is patronizing and served those in power in successfully voting for the tuition increase. This is not to say these people are to blame for the vote being passed. But their role assisted the Regents.