People's Park: An Introduction
An Introductory Video by Mayzie Angel
The Beginning of the Park: How One Place Inspired a Movement
Ever since the 1960s, activism at People’s Park in Berkeley has demonstrated the importance of community building and solidarity.
The history of People’s Park began in 1967 when the University of California acquired funding and purchased a plot of land through the process of eminent domain. 30 structures on the land were demolished, displacing residents who lived there previously. (1) After the demolition, the UC had little funding to continue with the intended project of building athletic fields, leaving the lot vacant (1). The university ignored the lot for a while, leaving it to informally serve as a muddy parking lot. Because of the lack of care and attention from the University, the park became an "urban eyesore" by the spring of 1969 (2). Members of the Berkeley community, Michael Delacour and Wendy Schlessinger, had the idea to transform the space into a community park that would allow people to come together and unite off campus (1). On April 20, 1969, about 200 people came to the site of the park to make contributions to developing the park (3). This unity and community organizing that occurred to develop the park was the first instance of solidarity being cultivated around the park. Despite the community's desire for a park, on April 28th, 1969, the UC announced plans to begin construction on the park and develop it into a soccer field (3). On May 15th, following this announcement, Berkeley community members organized a peaceful rally and march to protest the University’s development of People’s Park. The peaceful demonstrations quickly escalated into a violent clash between the police and demonstrators. Fifty-eight people were hospitalized on this day that would come to be known as "Bloody Thursday." Such a large amount of tear gas was used by police that gas infiltrated the whole south side of campus (4).
The movement to protect People's Park in the late 1960s after "Bloody Thursday" was met with a great amount of resistance. In a 1969 speech, California Governor at the time, Ronald Reagan, condemned the events that transpired on "Bloody Thursday" in People's Park, shaming Berkeley students and community members for being deviant and unruly (5). Although the events of Bloody Thursday were tragic, People's Park and the larger Berkeley community became even more united through their activism and common interest to protect the park from UC development plans.
- (1) Akkaraju, Maya, Souza, Jacob. “'Governed by Us': Looking into the History of People's Park.” The Daily Californian, 6 May 2021, https://www.dailycal.org/2021/04/16/governed-by-us-looking-into-the-history-of-peoples-park/.
- (2) Dalzell, Tom. The Battle for People's Park, Berkeley 1969. Heyday, 2019.
- (3) Brenneman, Richard. “The Bloody Beginnings of People’s Park.” The Berkeley Daily Planet, 20 Apr. 2004. https://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2004-04-20/article/18700?status=301
- (4) Fichirallo, Joe. “Police Seize Park: Shoot at Least 35.” The Daily Californian, 16 May 1969, https://www.dailycal.org/2017/04/21/remembering-bloody-thursday-1969-peoples-park-riot/.
- (5) Reagan, Ronald. “Governor Reagan's Ladies Day address to the Commonwealth Club.” June 13, 1969, San Francisco, California. Speech
“It was an expression of this idea that we can actually create something rather than just protesting,” — Charles Wollenberg, Berkeley historian (1)
The Continued Fight for People’s Park and its Importance
After Bloody Thursday in 1969, the Berkeley community continued to defend the park. On July 13, 1991, the university sent bulldozers to the park to build volleyball courts and riots broke out in defense of the park (3). The University still owns the land of People's Park, meaning that the UC is technically allowed to do whatever it wants to the park. As a result, there are volunteer organizers and community members constantly on high alert to act against the University and defend the Park. Ultimately, this demonstrates the strength of People's Park activism in Berkeley and the continued pursuit to protect this space.
Even the name "People's" Park, which started to become widely used in the late 1960s, represented the unification of one body in the name of opposing American nationalism. “People’s” is an important aspect of the name because it highlights how the park was radically transformed and reshaped by the people. In demonstrating this, it is clear that People’s Park is meaningful to the community and the people who have done so much to insurgently reconstruct the park as a community space of essential solidarity (8).
Ultimately, the goal of People's Park is to be a space of community, solidarity, and unity. People want to keep the park alive due to its rich history, however, it is also kept alive as it is still a key tool for community building in Berkeley. Overall, People's Park still serves its purpose of being a space where people can unite, connect, and relish in the park that was created through the power of community organizing (6). People’s Park is a crucial part of the Berkeley community and it has been throughout history due to the fact that it has been created and cultivated with community interests in mind. The park thrives and serves the community as it has been a space established to "reclaim safe, collaborative, and flexible urban green space for grassroots communities that celebrated diversity, centered the environment, and deliberated shared needs," (7).
- (6) Tucci-Berube, Giancarlo. “In Defense of People's Park.” The Daily Californian, 3 Feb. 2021, https://www.dailycal.org/2021/02/02/in-defense-of-peoples-park/.
- (7) Lovell, Kera N. “‘Everyone Gets a Blister’: Sexism, Gender Empowerment, and Race in the People's Park Movement.” WSQ: Women's Studies Quarterly, vol. 46, no. 3-4, 2018, pp. 103–119., https://doi.org/10.1353/wsq.2018.0034.
- (8) Lovell, Kera. “Free Food, Free Space: People's Stews and the Spatial Identity Politics of People's Parks.” American Studies, vol. 57, no. 3, 2018, pp. 103–119., https://doi.org/10.1353/ams.2018.0049.
Exhibit Title: "Peoples Park, Berkeley Riots 1969"
Photographer: Janine Wiedel
This image details the history of People's Park as told in the artistic format of writings on a wall. The primary source includes sentiments of togetherness and solidarity (9). One sentence of the writing on the wall states "the Park was built by anyone and everyone and we, all of us together, worked it out."
- (9) Wiedel, Janine. Peoples Park, Berkeley Riots 1969. 1997. Black and white photograph.
Theoretical Foundations
In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire (1970) argues that solidarity and liberation require a collective. "The revolution is made neither by the leaders for the people, nor by the people for the leaders, but by both acting together in unshakeable solidarity. This solidarity is born only when the leaders witness to it by their humble, loving, and courageous encounter with the people." People's Park was a place where this solidarity amongst the Berkeley community was initiated, therefore, the physical location and history of activism at People's Park are so important. Solidarity and community organizing were fostered and cultivated at People's park. The movements, protests, actions, and leadership exhibited throughout the history of People's Park remain important to the cultural legacy of Berkeley's activism culture.
- (10) Freire, Paulo, 1921-1997. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, 2000.
“This is a sanctuary for people who need somewhere to go.” (1)
— Roosevelt Stephens, People’s Park Resident
- (11) Roosevelt Stephens, interview by Chris Polydoroff, “What do people in People’s Park think of plan to put housing there?” Berkeleyside, May 4, 2018, https://www.berkeleyside.org/2018/05/04/video-what-do-people-in-peoples-park-think-of-plan-to-put-housing-there
People's Park in the Modern Day: The Intersections of People's Park and Activism
People's Park continues to be a green space, community park, and home to many residents of the community. To this day, the park is still a space that the community organizes to protect. The history of activism throughout the People's Park movement has shaped the city of Berkeley in its development and has left a very significant cultural legacy on the city as a whole.
The history of Activism at People’s Park has been an integral part of the city of Berkeley and the university. The story of People’s Park and the continuous activism efforts demonstrate how community building and spaces of community support leave long-lasting, strong legacies. Because of the long history of People’s Park, the Park still stands to this day and has many defenders despite how much resistance the Park has been met with historically. Overall, activism at People's Park has contributed to the identity of UC Berkeley and continues to play an integral role in the culture, character, and existence of the University.
Go to www.peoplespark.org in order to find out more about the park and how to get involved in protecting the park from UC development plans.