Hundreds of people marched and rallied for hours on Sunday, calling for both a ceasefire in Gaza and to protect the city's People's Park, which as of this week is now barricaded for housing construction.
Demonstrators marched, chanted, and played music along Telegraph Avenue near U.C. Berkeley.
Some of their regular refrains included, "free, free Palestine!" and "when People’s Park is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”
Bay Area resident and Palestinian American Nida L. participated in the protest.
She said, "I see the people asking for a ceasefire, I see the people asking for peace, and I see the people asking for an end to occupation, so I hope our representatives can begin representing the people and what they’re asking for."
Of the barricading and construction of People's Park, she said, "It’s a disgrace what they’ve done to it."
This week, unhoused individuals and protestors were cleared from Berkeley's People's Park as large shipping containers stacked two high were brought in to block off the park. Seven people were arrested as a fence was installed around the park. The park was blocked off as U.C. Berkeley moves forward with plans to build student housing there and awaits a court decision on the contested site.
"We are awaiting a court decision," explained U.C. Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof on Sunday.
He continued, "once we are clear in terms of legal terms, we will proceed with construction of both urgently needed student housing as well as permanent supportive housing for extremely low-income people in the Berkeley community."
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He said that the university hopes to have the park completely enclosed by the end of the day Monday, and when that happens all the streets around the park that are currently blocked will be reopened.
Mogulof noted that the university has brought in officers from multiple state, university, and local agencies to assist in the efforts at the park.
However, the demonstrators argued that the university should have chosen a different site for student housing.
"I am all for housing, I am all for student housing, but we don’t need to build it in people’s park," one speaker said to the crowd of protestors on Sunday.
The demonstrators on Sunday stood opposite metal street barricades where rows of dozens of law enforcement officers stood on the other side, blocking the way to People's Park.
At one point, a small fire was seen burning on the ground and our crew saw police carrying one person over the barricade. It is unclear what led up to those incidents.
Demonstrators on Sunday noted People's Park's history in free speech movements, a history they would like to see continue.
"And I just feel like as we fight and continue to make our voices heard for Palestine, we need to see these parallels and continue to make our voices heard about People’s Park," one speaker said.
