| It's been 20 months since the leaders of the University of California's original campus launched an extraordinary incursion on their own property — deploying dozens of trucks and hundreds of police officers to take control of storied People's Park. |
| After more than half a century of fighting over the counterculture landmark, the university finally recaptured the 2.8-acre property three blocks south of the U.C. Berkeley campus. Construction crews cemented the park's demise last month, "topping out" a massive dormitory on land once filled with scruffy grass, trees, a hodgepodge of tents for the homeless and a makeshift stage. |
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| The University of California used cargo containers to block off the People's Park property to build a dormitory for 1,100 students. (James Rainey / Los Angeles Times) |
| Berkeley activists first seized control of the space in 1969 and kept control of it through 10 U.S. presidential administrations. They bemoaned the loss of land that had been used for concerts, political organizing, food giveaways and bohemian frolics. The university and many in the community celebrated the construction of much-needed student housing and the closure of a space that sometimes devolved into darker activities, including assaults and drug use. |
| People's Park represented a particular time and place and a yearning for the continuation of the 1960s ideal of a more egalitarian society. Its founders viewed the park as a truly free forum for all manner of expression, in keeping with the imperatives of the Free Speech Movement that enveloped the Berkeley campus in the '60s. The park's demise epitomizes a shift in the state's (and perhaps even Berkeley's) politics. Although preservation of open space and "slow growth" once stood as liberal imperatives, even left-leaning politicians increasingly have supported construction of apartments to fill a massive housing shortage. |
| Last week, the bleating of heavy equipment and the whir of machinery created a new normal on Berkeley's southside. The two-high cargo containers used to keep protesters out of People's Park have been painted a monochromatic beige, topped by concertina wire to ward off anyone with thoughts of launching a belated protest. |
| Recently named for Judith Heumann, a disability rights leader, the Berkeley dormitory fronts Haste Street just east of Telegraph Avenue. With a maximum height of 154 feet, the dorm dwarfs most other structures on the south side of the Berkeley campus. It's expected to provide beds for 1,100 students when it opens for the 2027-28 academic year. |
| Across the street from the former People's Park last week, people offered a variety of opinions about the new dorm. |
| Madison Zaragoza, a senior majoring in German and political science, pronounced it "bad," adding: "I think it kind of symbolizes exactly what people were taking issue with, removing all the unhoused people who were there and turning it into something that only the privileged can afford. I think it's just wrong. And it's also an eyesore." |
| The university has committed to build a second structure on the west side of the park property to provide apartments for as many as 125 low-income and previously homeless people. A university spokesman said the search for a developer for the "permanent supportive housing" continues, with work scheduled to begin once the dorm is finished. |
| Some who spend a lot of time around the park said they thought People's Park had long since outlived its utopian beginnings. |
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| Jeremy Balfour, a writer who lives in Berkeley, said People's Park had outlived its best days and become a magnet for crime and drug use. (James Rainey / Los Angeles Times) |
| "Over the last 20 years, a certain amount of social disease crept in — difficulties with drugs and a malaise," said Jeremy Balfour, a writer, who was sitting on the sidewalk on Telegraph Avenue. "There's an old proverb, 'It never was what it once was.' And it had become pretty clear the park no longer was a strength for the commonweal." |
| But those who loved People's Park have been talking about ways to "regroup and reconstitute and revive the spirit of the park, the spirit of community, the spirit of sharing, the spirit of the commons," said Andrea Prichett, a teacher and activist who opposed the park shutdown. |
| When the Judith Heumann dormitory opens in a couple of years, the university has promised it will include a memorial to the park's history, along with green space for the community. That history includes the death of one protester, who was shot by sheriff's deputies in 1969, as the university tried to reestablish its control of People's Park. |
| "We'll see what's left of the park," Prichett said. "We'll see how they manage it. And we'll see whether it's truly accessible to everyone." |
Today's top stories |
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| Trees, bushes and plants surround the Saroyan Stairs, also known as the Hollywoodland Stairs, in L.A. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) |
Controversy around 'zone zero' wildfire rule |
- California's proposed defensible space rules could limit ignitable landscaping materials within five feet of structures in certain high fire-risk areas.
- Opponents say the so-called 'zone zero' rules aren't science-based, and could unnecessarily eliminate thousands of trees in urban Southern California. Proponents say the rules make sense and won't require tree removals.
- After months of meetings in Sacramento, public comments will be heard Thursday in Altadena.
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Charlie Kirk's slaying |
- Charlie Kirk railed against transgender rights. His killing has further fueled the fight
- The suspect in Kirk's slaying sent a text saying he would 'take out' Kirk, the FBI said as scrutiny of FBI Director Kash Patel's performance increased.
- A UCLA race and equity official sounded off after Kirk's slaying. Now he's on leave.
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Not just UCLA |
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More big stories |
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Commentary and opinions |
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This morning's must reads |
| | | Several of California's top communities for income growth were in the Coachella Valley, a Times analysis found. We measured tax returns from every ZIP Code in the state. | | | |
Other great reads |
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For your downtime |
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| Image September 2025 Must Be Margiela (Ashantea Austin / For The Times) |
Going out |
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Staying in |
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And finally ... the photo of the day |
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| Laborers work in August 2025 as dusk settles over the Coachella Valley to avoid 100-plus degree heat. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) |
| Today's great photo is from L.A. Times photographer Gina Ferazzi of dusk over the Coachella Valley |
Have a great day, from the Essential California team |
| James Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martin, assistant editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters |
| How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. |
