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<h2><b>Student vigil caps day of violence</b></h2><font size=3>“We shall
overcome” the last word<br>
February 10, 2011<br>
by <a name="Juan A. Hernandez"></a>Juan A. Hernandez<br>
<a href="mailto:jhernandez@prdailysun.net">jhernandez@prdailysun.net</a>
<br>
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http://www.prdailysun.com/news/Student-vigil-caps-day-of-violence<br><br>
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</font><font size=2>Violence escalated Wednesday noon at the University
of Puerto Rico after students and police clashed over the painting of
slogans on the street in front of the José M. Lázaro Library.<br><br>
More than 50 students were painting messages on the asphalt of what has
come to be known as “Conscience Street” in front of the university
library when a police officer started videotaping the activity.
Indignant, some of the students questioned the reasons for his keeping
tabs on them.<br><br>
“We are not doing anything wrong. We are just painting here. We have the
right to do so,” said one of the students to the policewoman holding the
video camera, who was immediately flanked by a group of some 12 police
officers.<br><br>
The situation turned violent when one of the students allegedly tried to
take the camera from the officer, while others shouted insults to the
group of agents. Almost immediately, a riot police squad came onto the
scene and without any previous warning some started beating the students
with ball of their metal-tipped batons.<br><br>
In similar situations riot police have been mobilized in a phalanx
formation to create a perimeter and gain control of the area, but on
Wednesday afternoon the orders seemed different. Some 30 officers charged
down on the students wielding their batons indiscriminately and hitting
anyone within reach.<br><br>
Many of the students fled from the scene to a safer distance while others
sought refuge in the library. Others yet stayed their ground and
confronted the police. Some of the students flung the paint containers at
the advancing police staining many of them, or threw stones at them.
Others even resorted to hand-to- hand combat, managing to grab one or two
riot police by the neck and hitting them until they could take them to
the ground.<br><br>
Students not participating in the demonstration were also pushed, hit and
arrested by the police if they questioned or resisted the actions. In the
end, 21 students were arrested and taken to different police
stations throughout the San Juan metropolitan area. Female students were
taken to the Cupey Police Station, while the others were taken to the
Loíza Street and Monte Hatillo stations. Charges against the arrested
students were undisclosed.<br><br>
Earlier, a group of university employees affiliated to the Brotherhood of
Exempt and Non-Teaching Employees (HEEND for its Spanish acronym) had
stormed into the lobby of campus chancellor Ana R. Guadalupe’s office and
staged a sit-in while announcing their intention of staying there until
the police was ordered off the campus.<br><br>
At the same time, university professors affiliated with the Puerto Rican
Association of University Professors (APPU for its Spanish acronym) had
been trying to meet with Guadalupe in an effort to negotiate an end to
the “harassment, persecution and physical abuse against university
students, teachers and employees.” By 5 p.m., Guadalupe had not agreed to
the meeting.<br><br>
“We are announcing a 24-hour work stoppage, starting today [Wednesday] at
3 p.m. to protest police presence in our university,” said APPU president
María Gisela Rosado.<br><br>
In a written statement distributed to the press, Guadalupe condemned the
day’s violence and urged that “wisdom and prudence” prevail.<br>
“This is a moment to come together in our commitment, as academicians, to
face these times of hardship affecting our institution,” said
Guadalupe.<br><br>
The chancellor denounced the student and labor leadership’s actions of
the day, falling short of blaming them for “vandalism,” referring to the
painting of the street. <br><br>
Guadalupe called the announced APPU work stoppage “illegal,” and urged
all university personnel to come to work today [Thursday] and comply with
their duties and responsibilities.<br><br>
Guadalupe said the police will continue to stay on campus to guarantee
institutional order.<br><br>
The day ended with a march of citizens, many dressed in white, who
entered the campus to take part in a vigil in solidarity with the
students and to demand that police be ordered off the UPR
campuses.<br><br>
During the vigil, a group of students gained access to the university
tower and unfurled a gigantic black banner that reached from the tower
balcony to the ground reading “VENCEREMOS” (We will win).<br><br>
<br><br>
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