[SDCPJ] C.H.E. CAFE - Statement of Occupation of the C.H.E. Cafe at UCSD

 

PRESS ADVISORY: Statement of Occupation of the C.H.E. Cafe

 

For more information contact C.H.E. CAFE Press Committee:

Cameron Hughes, <cameronxhughes@gmail.com>, 626-419-1507, press committee coordinator

Raquel Calderon, calderon.rocky@gmail.com, 714-458-9608,

Tanner Smith, gulfcoastsurfer@gmail.com, (281) 217-8468,

Susan Wingfield-Ritter, susan@johnhritter.com, 858-717-0047

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/che.cafe.collective/photos/gm.344842965714447/10153136596520979/?type=1&theater

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/342762415922502/

 

 

 

 

 

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 

 

From: Monty Kroopkin <mkroopkin@juno.com> Date: March 26, 2015 7:41:14 PM PDT   Subject: Occupy the C.H.E. Cafe ! Support the Occupiers!   Fellow Workers and Friends,   The C.H.E. Cafe Collective and the defending occupiers need all the help they can get -- more people (both inside and outside the building); supplies; more money for the defense fund and legal costs (more union locals making a donation) -- the appeal of the eviction lawsuit ruling is still pending in the appellate court; more help with publicity, et cetera.   Local press reports that the Sheriff's Department says they have 180 days to execute the eviction. No telling when they might show up. UCSD is on spring break until Monday, so many students, faculty and campus staff are absent right now. This is therefore an important time for members of the community to step up.   Clearly, the occupation may need to be sustained for much longer than this week. Student support during the spring quarter will be substantial. What happens if this drags on into the summer break is another matter.   Thanks for anything and everything you have done and may do to help.   An Injury to One, Is an Injury to All ! Monty Kroopkin, B.A., UCSD Class of 1981 C.H.E. Cafe Support Network SEIU Local 221 Steward   Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 Subject: Occupy the C.H.E. Café ! Support the Occupiers!     The C.H.E. Cafe Collective has changed the name of this event to   "Rally To Protect The Ché Café [ ONGOING ]"   This action began at 5 a.m. on March 24 and will continue. Your support makes all the difference!   Please spread the word!       For updates and more information from the collective check at   https://www.facebook.com/events/342762415922502/   and at   https://www.facebook.com/che.cafe.collective     Also, check out KPFK Radio's show on the situation. This broadcast has been distributed for rebroadcast to over 200 community radio station affiliates of the Pacifica Radio Network.     This is the url for the show: http://audioport.org/index.php?op=program-info&program_id=81547&nav=&       Your support makes all the difference!   Solidarity, Monty Kroopkin C.H.E. Cafe Support Network   Protest at the C.H.E. Cafe, 5 a.m., March 24, 2015.   [end of Occupy The CHE CAFE email notice]     STATEMENT: Posted by the C.H.E. Cafe Collective, Saturday, March 21, 2015: https://www.facebook.com/che.cafe.collective "UCSD has vowed to carry out its eviction of the Ché Café Collective on Tuesday morning at 5 a.m.   "Together, with support from community members and students alike, we have fought for nearly a year to prevent this day from coming.   "Despite our struggle, the administration of UCSD has not budged and instead seems intent on seeing the eviction through. Together, we can stand up to them. Together, we can prevent the closure of the Ché. We know that in the past, the only thing that has ever prevented the university administration from shutting down the Ché is community pressure and direct action. We cannot win this fight without your help – and it has all come down to this day.   "Please show up at 5 a.m. or earlier with picket signs, noise makers and megaphones.   "Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, stay hydrated and bring snacks.   "For those who show up early, there will be donuts (w/vegan option) and coffee available.   "Invite anybody and everybody from your friends list to attend, we need as many bodies as possible.   "We have won this battle many times in the past – we will win once more.   "ALL OUT TO SUPPORT THE CHE!"   March on the Chancellor, in Defense of the C.H.E. Cafe, October 28, 2014.         NEWS REPORTS ON MARCH 24, 2015: the San Diego Union-Tribune http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/24/che-cafe-eviction-protest/   Report from NBC TV http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/sounddiego/Students-Rally-to-Save-The-Che-Cafe-297379091. html     Report from CBS TV http://www.cbs8.com/category/155799/video-landing-page?clipId=11270359&autostart=true   Report from Fox 5 TV http://fox5sandiego.com/2015/03/24/uc-san-diego-students-alumni-protest-che-cafe-eviction/   Report from KPBS http://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/mar/24/another-protest-save-che-cafe-uc-san-diego/   Report from OB Rag http://obrag.org/?p=93118   Report from San Diego Reader http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/mar/24/blurt-che-group-gathers-protect-its-home/     OTHER RECENT NEWS REPORTS   San Diego Union-Tribune http://web.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/15/tp-che-cafe-supporters-fight-eviction-attempts- by/   The New Indicator http://newindicator.com/wp/   The San Diego Free Press http://sandiegofreepress.org/?s=Che+Cafe   Telesur http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Spaces-of-Hope-Radical-Movements-Need-Radical-Spaces -20141202-0023.html     Current Online Public Statement of Support for the C.H.E. Cafe: https://www.change.org/p/university-of-california-and-other-state-officials-public-stateme nt-of-support-for-the-c-h-e-caf%C3%A9-and-the-c-h-e-caf%C3%A9-collective#petition-letter     Earlier statements of support for the C.H.E. Café and of opposition to the UCSD administration’s unethical eviction campaign. These prior statements include two online petitions, with over 11,800 and over 1,800 signatures, respectively: https://www.change.org/p/assistant-vice-chancellor-gary-ratcliff-save-the-che-from-closing and https://www.change.org/p/board-of-regents-we-hereby-request-that-the-university-immediatel y-cease-its-eviction-actions-against-the-che-cafe-and-return-to-the-negotiating-table-and - that-the-university-restore-funding-to-the-che-cafe   and all of the following, which is only a sampling: San Diego-Imperial Counties Central Labor Council http://newindicator.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Labor-Council-Resolution-in-support- of-Che-Cafe.pdf UC San Diego Faculty Association http://ucsdfa.org/sdfa-opposes-the-unilateral-eviction-of-the-che-cafe/726 UCSD Graduate Students http://newindicator.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Graduate-Student-Support-Petition-CH E-10-27-14.pdf Artists’ Boycott of UCSD https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=381173525380791 University Council – American Federation of Teachers (AFT) click on unions University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) and UAW Local 2865 - UCSD Teaching and Research Assistants click on campus UCSD Alumni click on alumni and click on past president AFT Local 1931 – San Diego and Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community Colleges Faculty and Staff click on supporters     ALL OF THESE STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO:   UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla chancellor@ucsd.edu   Governor Jerry Brown governor@governor.ca.gov State Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins Speaker.Atkins@assembly.ca.gov Board of Regents of the University of California regentsoffice@ucop.edu UC President Janet Napolitano president@ucop.edu UCSD Vice Chancellor Juan Gonzalez juangonzalez@ucsd.edu UCSD Associate Vice Chancellor Gary Ratcliff grratcliff@ucsd.edu UCSD UCEN Director Sharon Van Bruggen svanbruggen@ucsd.edu       THE C.H.E. CAFE BUILDING IS SAFE AND COMPLIES WITH THE FIRE CODE: Members of the Che Cafe Support Network passed out an info sheet at the recent UCSD Associated Students and Graduate Students Association Council meetings. It is worth quoting:   “Under both UC policy and the state Fire Code (which is adopted as UC policy), the CHE Cafe building is EXEMPT from any requirement for retrofits for automatic fire sprinklers. This means that the UCSD administration’s estimate that student fees must be used to pay over $300,000 for sprinklers is incorrect. This also means that the building is legally safe for occupancy (as it has always been) for 170 people in the assembly room (per Fire Marshal posted legal notice). In other words, the UCSD administration’s public posture since Spring of 2014 — that for fire “safety” the CHE Cafe Collective lease must be terminated, that the collective must be evicted, and that the building must not be used for concerts, events and meetings — has NO legal basis. None of the other maintenance/repairs work cited by the administration are any reason to shut down the Cafe, except during (perhaps) some of the actual construction work.”   The info sheet goes on to give the UC policy and state Fire Code links that prove there is no safety problem at the Che Cafe. Click here to see the info sheet on the Fire Code.   In other words, THERE IS NO REASON TO SHUT DOWN THE C.H.E. The UCSD administration just LIED about it. The termination of the C.H.E. Cafe Collective’s lease was based on a lie. The lawsuit to evict the collective — after it refused to vacate the space when the lease was terminated — was based on a lie.     1992 Sit-in at UCSD General Store Coop Against Eviction attempt by UCSD administration. The General Store Coop is still in business today, in 2015!