CCSF: “Some students were pepper sprayed, some were clubbed.”

City College of San Francisco students occupied Conlan Hall, the administrative building in City College’s main campus, demanding the resignation of Special Trustree Robert Agrella.

Here is a statement by the Save the CCSF Coalition:

Thirty City College of San Francisco students have entered the administration building at the Ocean Campus and are holding a sit-in to protest the lack of democracy at the college and the new student payment policy.

The students are demanding that the Special Trustee With Extraordinary Powers (STWEP), Robert Agrella, step down. Ever since the democratically elected Board of Trustees were stripped of their powers students, faculty and staff have endured a series of destructive decisions and policies. One such policy the students are demanding be reversed is the aggressive payment policy that has forced many students out of school.

Here are various comments on how the police reacted.

“Some students were pepper sprayed, some were clubbed,” City College Student Trustee Shanell Williams told the Guardian.”

“Actually, it was peaceful until the SFPD pulled up. They came running into the group with batons drawn. They hit and shoved students wihtout assessing the situation.”

“It got pretty rough, pretty quick. Students pushed their way into Conlan Hall and police were quick to get their sticks out. I was pushed around,” she said. “I think this is clearly one of those situations where police presence escalated, rather than de-escalated the situation”