People's Park: California Governor Ronald Reagan has an impromptu student park owned by the University of California at Berkeley fenced off from student anti-war protestors, sparking a riot.
People's Park in Berkeley, California is a park located just east of Telegraph Avenue, bounded by Haste and Bowditch Streets, and Dwight Way, near the University of California, Berkeley. The park was created during the radical political activism of the late 1960s.The local Southside neighborhood was the scene of a major confrontation between student protesters and police in May 1969. A mural near the park, painted by Berkeley artist O'Brien Thiele and lawyer/artist Osha Neumann, depicts the shooting of James Rector, who was fatally shot by police on May 15, 1969.While legally the land is the property of the University of California, People's Park has operated since the early 1970s as a free public park. The City of Berkeley declared it a historical and cultural landmark in 1984. Although open to all, it is often viewed as a sanctuary for Berkeley's low income and large homeless population who, along with others, receive meals from East Bay Food Not Bombs regularly. Many homeless outreach organizations, like the Suitcase Clinic, also visit the park regularly. Nearby residents, and those who use the park for recreation, partake in activities around the park like gardening, musical performances, and movie nights. Many of these events are planned and executed by the People's Park Committee.In response to UC Berkeley's renewed plan to build student housing on the site, the Defend People's Park coalition has formed to organize events, direct actions, mutual aid, and classes at the park since a student occupation began in early 2021. A People’s Park Historic District Advocacy Group also formed and pursued national recognition for the park. The California State Historical Resources Commission voted unanimously on November 5, 2021, to recommend the site for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.