About 30 to 50 protesters locked themselves overnight in Campbell Hall on the UCLA campus. Their website says the protest began about 12:30 a.m. and is linked to the UC Regents' plan to increase student fees. The site also refers to the names of students who were shot to death during a Black Panther Party dispute in Campbell Hall in 1969.

 

The protesters, who say their group includes students from UCLA and other campuses, remain in the building. Campbell Hall will be closed for the day, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said this morning.

 

Block sent this message to the campus community:

As you likely know, the UC Regents are meeting on campus in Covel Commons. There were a number of protest demonstrations yesterday and they are continuing today. It's important for us to honor the right to protest, but we also must maintain an environment of civility, respect and safety on our campus.

Currently, a number of students are conducting a sit-in in Campbell Hall, and classes there have been canceled. If you do not need to be in the vicinity of Campbell Hall or Covel Commons, please stay away.

As more information becomes available, updates will be posted on the UCLA Newsroom.

Sincerely,
Gene D. Block
Chancellor

This story has been updated from an earlier version.