"International Student Movement"

University of Puerto Rico:
Under Siege by Police

This page is will try to provide regular updates on the events at the public University of Puerto Rico. To get a better understanding of the institution's role within the country let me quote Wikipedia:

The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members.

On December 7th students went on strike for 48hours to protest the introduction of an additional US$800 in fees.
The administration hired "private security" to attack striking students - several were arrested and injured. (Dec.7/8th)

Following the strike police forces began to enter all 11 campuses and take the university buildings under their control.

Report updates:

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Dec.10th

Professor writes about the situation at the university: Summary of current state of 1st Amendment Rights in PR (Dec  10 2010), .pdf (24kb)

Dec.10th - 12:20pm GMT

"People are still there blocking the avenue (Río Piedras campus). A professor is giving classes in front of the gate.
The administration has agreed to talk to the the presidents of the student councils from the 11 campuses (I don't know when). If this doesn't happen soon, the strike is still on for Tuesday but I don't know how it will be because of the police presence.
Here's a video from the local news giving a summary of the history of police intervention in the university (sorry it's in Spanish!)"

Dec.10th - 11:50am GMT

"The rector said that the police will continue inside the campus."

"Police is stationed at every entrance and you have to show your student ID to be allowed inside the campus."

"Professors held an assembly in front of the main gate and voted to not enter the campus until the police leaves. They also decided to not do a strike under the condition that the administration negotiates with the students.
A vigil of students, professors and other employees is being held in front of the main gate until the police leaves the campus. We have vowed to not enter the campus until this happens."

posted on the facebook wall

Dec.9th - 3:20pm GMT

"Puerto Rico: Police has taken over the Rio Piedras Campus. Only residents can enter. Police hadn't entered the campus in 30 years since when killings saddened the community in the 1981 strike. Right now... WE ARE NOT ON STRIKE. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS DECLARED WAR AGAINST US. THE GOVERNOR DECLARED THAT NO LEFTIST ACTIVISM WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO."

posted on the facebook wall

Dec.9th - 2:05pm GMT

Protesters gathered in front of gates to campuses to protest police presence:

Dec.9th - prdailysun.com reports

Several units of riot police occupied the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras just before midnight Wednesday. A few hours earlier university students had ended the 48-hour stoppage they held since Tuesday morning.

Dec.9th - 2pm GMT

"Companions it is important to let you know that is against the university of Puerto Rico organic law to allowed the police inside the campus, this act is illegal."

posted on the facebook wall + video

Dec.9th - 1:15pm GMT

"UPRRP PUERTO RICO: We're in a strike in front of the university the police is inside the campus. We're not entering the campus until the police decides to go out. The administration want us to pay $800 + the $ for the credits per student."

posted on the facebook wall

Dec.9th - 12:30pm GMT

"After a 48 hours strike in the University of Puerto Rico, the police has entered and occupied the university. Since 1981 that has not happened in Puerto Rico. They have violated the no confrontation policy of the university, policy was taken after the violent repression of the 1981 student strike."

posted on the facebook wall

Dec.9th - 12:05pm GMT

"I'm a student and resident of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. The university community, especially students, are angry and disgusted with the fact that the university administration first remove all the gates (which provide security to the students), then they put a private security guards to intervene violently with students through student strike that took place the past two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) and now, after 30 years, the police again invade our university in an act of repression from university administration and government of Puerto Rico. Students are open to dialogue and only proclaim the repeal of the certification that requires all students to pay an unfair annual fee of $ 800 for fiscal stabilization. I say unfair, because there is a budget deficit of 250 million dollars due to mismanagement of the university. We are not responsible of the deficit."

posted on the facebook wall

Dec.9th - 7am GMT

"After students finished a 48hr strike the police (especially the division known as special force tactics) invaded all 11 campuses of the University of Puerto Rico, not letting students go in or out of their dorms, closing gates without giving any information as to what is going on!"

details in Spanish: elnuevodia.com

Dec.8th - 2pm GMT

Police from Puerto Rico throwed paper from helicopters into the UPR-Río Piedras Campus in order to "inform the students the mision of the police: to mantain law and order".

video

Dec.8th - 1:45pm GMT

A student managed to escape arrest at Aguadilla campus:

Dec.8th - 1:30pm GMT

Students at the University High School (which is part of UPR) express their support for the strike today: