Multiple protesters were taken into custody overnight after People’s Park in Berkeley was closed off.
At least seven people were taken into custody. They are facing trespassing charges.
Several clusters of protesters who oppose UC Berkeley building a housing complex at the park have been showing up and clashing at times with officers.
The scene unfolded just after midnight Thursday as police and CHP officers barricaded every street within two blocks of People’s Park.
Crews could be seen dismantling structures, and police were seen going into tents.
Meanwhile, occupiers were also being forced down out of a makeshift tree house.
Several trees were being cut down as well, all part of an effort to make way for a student housing project, which the university says is desperately needed.
University officials said several streets surrounding the park will be closed to traffic for the next three to four days while crews continue building a perimeter comprised of double-stacked shipping containers.
Last year, a state appeals court blocked the university from its $312 million plan to build a 17-story complex for students at the park.
After its ruling, the state supreme court agreed to decide whether the college can take over the park and build housing there.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has stated he is in support of the university’s plan.
In a statement, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ said the school moved to clear and barricade the park “in order to minimize disruption for the public and our students when we are eventually cleared to resume construction.”
Opponents of the project say the university should consider other sites for housing. Many point out the park has been a safe haven for many unhoused people.
Source: NBC Bay Area