Pepper Spray, Arrests at U.C. Regents Meeting

The times have a-changed since Mario Savio's day...

​Prior to a meeting in which the University of California board is set to vote upon an 8 percent tuition hike, protesters were arrested and pepper-sprayed outside U.C. San Francisco's Mission Bay campus.

U.C. Spokesman Pete King told the press at least 16 demonstrators were arrested today prior to the meeting. One protester was charged with a felony, and three police officers were injured.

Christine Byon, communications director for the U.C. Students Association, said she was pepper-sprayed along with other student protesters. She also claimed to have witnessed a police officer unholstering his weapon and pointing it at a demonstrator.

The level of violence at the meeting "Is getting to the point where it's kind of scary," Byon said. "We were expecting a large amount of police."

And they got it.

Update: KTVU cameras caught the instance of a U.C. Police officer pulling his weapon and pointing at members of the crowd after being bumped and trampled by protesters. You can see the whole incident here.

KTVU

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