Highway 1 reopens after police arrest six UCSC students following four hour protest

UPDATE 5:08 p.m.: UCSC officials issued a statement on behalf of the university following Tuesday’s four hour protest on Highway 1 where six students were arrested.

March 3, 2015

To: UC Santa Cruz Community
From: Chancellor George Blumenthal and Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor Alison Galloway
Re: Demonstrations and respecting the rights of others

“We are upset by reports today that UC Santa Cruz students were apparently involved in demonstrations that obstructed traffic on local highways and streets for several hours, impacting countless members of our community.

According to authorities, six UCSC students were arrested early this afternoon on charges that include conspiracy, creating a public nuisance, and resisting arrest. Campus leaders will investigate the incident and the reported involvement of UCSC students.

As we have said before, we fully respect the free-speech rights of students, faculty, and staff to engage in lawful protest. However, we cannot support actions that infringe on the rights and movement of others.

We are all members of this community, and we deeply regret the impact these events had on our neighbors. It’s more than just an inconvenience; obstructing traffic jeopardizes public safety in ways that potentially could put people’s lives at risk. We strongly condemn this form of public protest and will exert our full responsibility as campus leaders to discourage its use in the future.”

A petition has been created to expel the students who blocked the highway: https://www.change.org/p/george-blumenthal-expel-ucsc-students-who-participated-in-the-blocking-of-hwy-17-on-march-3-2015?recruiter=243758436&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive

UPDATE 2:19 p.m.: Officers confirm the names of six UCSC students, each charged with a felony and three misdemeanor crimes.

Those charges include felony conspiracy to execute a crime and misdemeanor creating a public nuisance, failure to obey lawful order and failure to obey executive order from a police officer.

Officers said the students include Ethan Pezzow, 20, of Santa Cruz, Alexander Pearce, 20, of San Francisco, Sophia DiMatteo, 20, of Sherman Oaks, Jeanine Caceres, 22, of Santa Cruz, Lori Nixon, 29, of Santa Cruz, and Sasha Petterson, 20 of Santa Cruz.

UPDATE 2:05 p.m.: NewsChannel 5 confirms all six UCSC protestors have been arrested from Highway 1. Now crews are working to clear the road.

UPDATE 1:55 p.m.: Three UCSC protestors have been arrested on Highway 1 in Santa Cruz.

CHP said this has been an expensive operation.Officers said they had to bring in crews outside of Santa Cruz to help with traffic.

NewsChannel 5 is learning the equipment used by protestors was planned out using cement inside trash cans, reinforced with rebar, wire mesh and chains.

UPDATE 1:24 p.m.: Two of six protestors have been arrested on Highway 1. CHP officers said they believe all six are UCSC students, three female and three male.

UPDATE 12:45 p.m.: Crews are still trying to separate six protestors linked by metal pipes and trash cans with cement on Highway 1 at Ocean Street. CHP confirms supplies for the protestors were dropped off by a driver in a UHaul truck around 9:25 a.m.

Fire crews are working to separate the protestors, using a jackhammer:

SLIDESHOW: UCSC protestors block Highway 1 over tuition hikes and police on campus

A second large group of protestors traveled down Ocean Street and are now being monitored by police on Water Street.

UPDATE 12:18 p.m.: Fire crews are now attempting to disassemble a metal pipe contraption, hooking several students together, as the protest tuition hikes and police on Highway 1 at Ocean Street in Santa Cruz.

NewsChannel 5 has learned the metal pipes are connected to trash cans that have cement in them.

Each protestor has been given protective gear as fire crews saw though the metal pipes.

UPDATE 11:41 a.m.: NewsChannel 5 confirms officers are frisking some protestors blocking Highway 1. To watch from the CalTrans Cam at Highway 1 and Ocean Street, click here.

UPDATE 11:12 a.m.: NewsChannel 5 confirms some protestors are wearing UC Santa Cruz shirts and may be university students. California Highway Patrol reports protestors are holding a large banner stating “Fight The Hikes, Police Off Campus” near the Ocean Street off ramp.

UPDATE 10:45am: CHP has now closed south bound lanes of Highway 17 as well as the southbound lanes of Highway 1 in the area around the fish hook in Santa Cruz as officers are requesting fire personnel come to assist in cutting the PVC pipe that is connecting the protestors sitting on the highway. Traffic north and south on Highway 17 and Highway 1 are being diverted around the protestors.

Protestors are allowed to peacefully protest if they are not blocking the roadway; CHP is trying to get the protestors to move off the highway.

3/3/15 9:52am: CHP officers say that protestors wearing masks on their faces have blocked Highway 1 south bound near the fishhook in Santa Cruz.

Officers say the highway is blocked near the Highway 1 and Ocean Street interchange and traffic is backing up past Emeline Ave.

At this time only southbound lanes on Highway 1 are closed. Traffic on Highway 17 south is now backing up to at least Pasatiempo.

Witnesses report seeing the group holding hands, sitting between garbage cans, and holding some sort of pipe or pool noodles between them.