UPR: ¡La Huelga Sigue!

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On Wednesday, students at the University of Puerto Rico continued their 49th day of striking on 10 of 11 campuses in the system. Around 4pm, negotiations broke down between the administration and the students and the administration left the negotiating table. Four students responded by holding a civil disobedience and refused to let administration leave negotiations (and consequently the building). As news of the civil disobedience spread, dozens of police and supporters began surrounding the adjacent botanical garden. As more police and supporters arrived, a second line of police and supporters formed, flooding the resistance onto the interstate highway PR-1. After 7 hours, beatings and the use of pepper spray by police, and other tense confrontations between police and supporters, the continuations of negotiations on a later day was agreed upon by the administration.

At UPR Aguadilla campus, students narrowly voted to end their campus’ [blockade] in response to the imminent eviction of the campus by riot police the following day. Today, students are still picketing at the gates to the Aguadilla campus, and the campus remains empty. Workers refuse to cross the picket lines.

June 11 Update:

Students picketing on the strike line at Aguadilla were forcibly removed by police. Around 3pm (noon PDT) the negotiations broke down between the student negotiating group, CNN, and the UPR administration. The following is a message from the negotiating group CNN:

More on the UPR Strike:

• 11.April – Occupation Announced
• 12.April – Occupation Attacked
• 21.April – UPR Strike Begins
• 23.April – More UPR Campuses Join Strike
• 25.April – Strike Continues (photos)
• 27.April – UPR Strike Analysis – Yeast and the Oven
• 3.May – UPR Strike Enters 13th day
• 15.May – Police Surround UPR
• 15.May – UPR undersiege
• 20.May – UPR Strike Analysis – Vietnam & Disney
• 20.May – UPR-RP Riot
• 24.May – UPRM announced indefinite strike
• 25.May – UPR-Carolina Interview – Day 35
• 27.May – Photos from UPR, RP March
• 3.June – Message from Negotiating Committee
• 3.June – Students Reinforce Barricades at UPR-RP
• 8.June – UPR Eviction Deadline!