June 7, 1969: 55 years ago, June 6 1969, 400 people were assaulted by Berkeley police [...]

55 years ago, June 6 1969, 400 people were assaulted by Berkeley police and evicted from People’s Park Annex after the breakup of a torchlight procession from Sproul Plaza to People’s Park. BPD clubbed sleeping people, beat pets, uprooted flowers and broke trees during the attack

Ahead of a Saturday UC Regents meeting, a rally of thousands held at Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza by supporters of People’s Park led into a torchlight procession to the park. When police attacked the parade, several groups scattered and many fled to People’s Park Annex north of campus

After hundreds regathered at at People’s Park Annex, or Insurrection City, police launched their brutal assault. The attack on the annex caused a PR crises at BPD and brought out hundreds of new Berkeley residents in the following days to help rebuild https://t.co/RBffeMEfrT

During the attack, a cop car tried several times to run over a single lit candle sitting in the street. After missing, backing up, and trying again and again, wind from the car knocked the candle over but didn’t blow out the flame! Someone immediately ran up and set it back up

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