[News] Police attack protesting University of Puerto Rico students

[Anti-Imperialist News]

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Puerto Rico: Police attack protesting University of Puerto Rico students

By Natalia A. Bonilla-Berrios
http://www.latinalista.net/linkinglatinas/2010/12/puerto_rico_police_attack_protesting_uni.html

SAN JUAN -- Seven days after students from five 
of the eleven campuses of the University of 
Puerto Rico (UPR) declared an official strike, the state police intervened.

Today, police used tear gas, taser guns and 
batons against almost 100 students who protested 
inside the Rio Piedras Campus. Thirteen students 
were officially arrested around 6 p.m. and sent 
to the Hato Rey police station.

"It was a totally abusive act (by police). There 
was no violent act (committed) here to perform 
that action," said Osvaldo Burgos, president of 
the Human Rights Commission of the Bar Association, to the media.

On December 13, the campus' Rector Ana Guadalupe 
prohibited all gatherings on the university's 
premises without the approval of the Puerto Rican 
Supreme Court, who had determined -- according to 
a resolution to the lawsuit UPR vs Laborde -- 
that freedom of speech will be assured outside the campus.

This measure was aimed at guaranteeing that 
classes would not be interrupted by the protests, 
preventing what had happened during the previous 
strike of 54 days last summer. The University of 
Puerto Rico is currently on probation by the 
Middle States Commission of Higher Education.

The students of the Rio Piedras Campus declared a 
strike after a series of negotiations failed with 
the UPR administration to rescind a $800 fee for 
next semester. This amount is to help diminish 
the university's $240 million debt.

During the week, few arrests were made against 
students who were blocking traffic to the campus. 
However, no violent incidents were reported until 
today when following a gathering of the Natural 
Science faculty, students used smoke balls to 
force other undergraduates to abandon class.

State police then intervened.

Although during these past few weeks, Governor 
Luis Fortuño and Senate President Thomas Rivera 
Schatz approved legislation to help students with 
financial need pay the new fee, protests have only continued to escalate.

The protesting group of students wants total 
dismissal of the fee. They're afraid it will 
leave over 10,000 students without a way to continue their higher education.

Students of the Carolina Campus were the first to 
receive the $800 bill. They are starting their 
quarter season today surrounded by state police 
guards. Since the 1981 strike, no campus has had 
state police on their premises.

This strike joins the list of student protests 
occurring in countries like Italy and England 
where students are also objecting to the increase in higher education costs.

**********************************************************

Smoke bombs hurled as police take over campus

http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Smoke-bombs-hurled-as-police-take-over-campus
December 21, 2010

More than 16 persons were arrested and eight 
police officers were wounded during the melée at 
the University of Puerto Rico to protest the $800 
tuition fee. Four students were also injured during the arrests.

The skirmish began at approximately 5:15 p.m. 
after the protesters reached the second level of 
the Natural Sciences Faculty,  where eight groups 
of students were taking exams.

Police were posted around the area in classrooms.

Some demonstrators threw smoke bombs into the 
classrooms and began the confrontation, which 
worsened when the students were blocked from going downstairs.

While some protestors threw rocks, bottles, desks 
and other objects at the police, some students asked them to stop.

The demonstration continued towards the Business 
Administration building, followed by several 
officials of the Tactical Operations Unit and 
followed Ponce de León Avenue to University 
Plaza, where the officers tried to disperse the 
crowd by spraying tear gas. Atabeyra Medina 
Hernández, a lawyer for the students, said four 
were injured and were being attended at Hoare Diagnostic and Treatment Center.

Police Superintendent, José Figueroa Sancha 
confirmed the tally at 16 arrests and eight 
injuries, evidence he said he would share with 
federal authorities. He said the use of some of 
the chemicals used in the smoke bombs could be construed as a federal offense.

Figuera Sancha said that the instigators were not 
students who wish the best for UPR, but rather 
“subversive groups” who are “highly violent.”
Rep. Luis Vega Ramos repudiated the acts of 
violence “against the student body,” and urged 
the people to be alert “in the face of new 
efforts of repression on the part of the government.”

“As a Puerto Rican, I have seen with indignation 
and the images of government employees attacking 
without pity the student demonstrators who 
protest against an unfair fee,” said the representative.

“Aggression against our youth is not justified,” 
said the legislator, who claimed that “the UPR 
administration has created an anti-university 
state in which to demonstrate is a crime.”

“It is clear that the government’s agenda is the 
destruction of the UPR as a center of higher 
education accessible to all our social sectors. 
There is no longer any doubt that the personal 
agenda of Gov. Fortuño is to close the 
university. Fortuño is the person mainly 
responsible for what has happened and what could 
happen. The solution is in his hands,” said Vega Ramos.

He urged the governor to transfer the money that 
UPR needs so they will not have to impose an $800 fee.

Sen. Cirilo Tirado Rivera, also of the PDP, 
blamed Fortuño “for any tragedy” that might occur.

“The governor’s insensitivity and stubbornness in 
not solving this crisis has provoked the terrible 
images we have seen of the riot,” said Tirado 
Rivera. Fortuño refuses to dialoge and seek a 
solution and in exchange has chosen to use force.”

He urged him to remove the police and return 
peace to the campus, adding that it was in his 
hands to sit down and dialogue to resolve the crisis.



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