Students Occupying UC Davis Issue Press Release

We are writing you from the chancellor’s office at UC Davis, as part of the group of students, workers, and community members who are on day five of a sit-in outside of Chancellor Katehi’s office demanding for her to come in and give her resignation.

Students here, who are in the midst of final exams, are facing great stress, emotional trauma, and anxiety amidst this atmosphere of police pressure and surveillance, administrative threats, and transphobia.

The UC Davis administration, who publicly likes to express support for student protests and free speech, has responded to this action with police in and around the building for the past five days and a threat of dismissal from the university for the students involved for violating the UC Davis Student Code of Conduct, while protesting the Chancellor’s violation of UC policy in her moonlighting on the boards of DeVry University, King Abdulaziz University, and Wiley & Sons, among a variety of other affronts including the 2011 pepper spraying of students (see our statement here).

After five days living in these conditions, Katehi arrived Tuesday afternoon without warning. Walking in with a defense of spokespeople crowding around her, Katehi spent less than five minutes talking to the folks who have been waiting for five days. Not only did she slam the door and exit the room while a student was speaking, she laughed at our concerns and denied the facts of anti-blackness and Islamophobia on campus.

We are looking to garner greater public support both for our safety, and to increase the pressure for Katehi to resign.

Please let me know if you’d be interested in covering our story, or talking to us further.
Thanks so much,
Occupants of the 5th floor of Mrak Hall

Current coverage:
Fox 40 News:
http://fox40.com/2016/03/14/uc-davis-student-protesters-could-face-suspension/

Associated Press:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CA_UC_DAVIS_STUDENT_PROTEST_CAOL-?SITE=CAANR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

ABC 10:
http://www.abc10.com/news/local/davis/uc-davis-students-call-for-chancellor-to-resign/78688042

Davis Enterprise:
http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=637148&preview_id=637148
http://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/ucd/student-protesters-demand-katehis-resignation-sleep-over-in-mrak-hall/

SacBee:
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article65919522.html
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article65671637.html

The Aggie:
https://theaggie.org/2016/03/11/uc-davis-students-workers-protest-to-fire-chancellor-linda-p-b-katehi/