Public Education Protest Turns Violent at UC Berkeley

BERKELEY, Calif.

A protest condemning tuition fee increases at the University of California at Berkeley turned into a riot.

The Feb. 25 open-air dance party in Upper Sproul Plaza was aimed to rally support for the March 4 nationwide protest supporting public education, reported SFGate.com. The event, which had as many as 200 people in attendance, quickly turned sour, as attendees fought with police, vandalized public property, broke windows and set trash cans and dumpsters on fire. Additionally, protestors threw rocks and bottles at officials.

Twenty-eight-year-old Marika Goodrich, a current UC Berkeley student, and 26-year-old Zachary Miller, an alumnus of the university, were arrested on suspicion of inciting a riot and resisting arrest. Goodrich, who was also booked for allegedly assaulting a police officer, is being held on $32,500 bond. Million, booked on suspicion of obstructing a police officer, is being held on $22,500 bond.

As many as two dozen UC Police Department and Berkeley Police Department officers were called in to contain the scene, which came to an end around 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 26.

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