UPR Students Arrested and Injured

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – [BREAKING] 17 or more students were arrested, at least 2 hospitalized, and around 8 police injured on Monday, December 20th, in clashes related to the student strike at the University of Puerto Rico. Although still unclear, it appears students attempted to shutdown business as usual at the natural sciences building at the Río Piedras campus, but were instead met with a violent police response. According to one mainstream news report, police were seen bludgeoning students with nightsticks while they lay on the ground, and students were seen throwing stones at police.

[Update]: Reports are coming in that the arrested students were still being beaten once boarded onto police transport buses and while at the police detention center.

Video of arrests (warning, the video is loud):

For the past few weeks students have been in an uproar over a fee increase intended to begin in January. This is the same fee increase students fought to prevent last Spring, where demonstrators effectively shut down the 10 of 11 campus system for two months. Students held a 48 hour strike only two weeks ago, which ended in the police occupation of some UPR campuses (including: Río Piedras, Aguadilla, Humancao, Bayamon, Carolina, and Cayey). Students have attempted several creative actions and protests to raise awareness of the police sieges on their education and the ensuing brutality.

Update: After going to the Carolina campus to show support for their strike, the Río Piedras students came back and held a demo in the main plaza.  They went around doing the usual classroom visits to make sure no one was holding class, and while this was happening the police showed up and followed one individual down a set of stairs and arrested him.  A fight broke out between the arresting police officers and some students defending the already-apprehended student, so the police went ahead and arrested another student.  This fight set off a chain of events where the students retreated through the campus and onto the streets. The police pursued them, shooting tear gas and pinning down and arresting anyone they could get their hands on.  When they got to the main avenue, the students formed a picket line, and the police gave dispersal orders, followed by more tear gas and a second chase down the street.  Finally the day ended when the police and the students negotiated to have a picket line at a nearby intersection. (Special thanks to Luis O.)

Some more updates from ReclaimUC.