Update on UC Berkeley

I received this from a friend of mine, a current undergrad at UC Berkeley:

for couple of months the students in berkeley have been working w the workers on campus and some faculty to talk to the regents and the legislature to pressure the state in giving us the funding we need. other demands include fair and living wages for the janitors librarians custodians untenured lecturers. many ppl lost their jobs recently, so there have been walkouts and protests all over the college campuses since sept.

most recently, this week from tuesday to thursday, the uc regents met @ ucla to vote on the fee hike of 32% starting next semester which would kick tons of students out bc we cant afford to pay that much. especially the middle class international and undocumented students (i was one of em until the spring of my freshmen yr) who dont qualify for government financial aid.

thats why i went down w my friends and union ppl to protest. thanks for those of you who txted called back and prayed for me. that 24hrs experience was something i will never forget. but i dont want to digress now.

the vote went through anyway. and today more than 60 students took over one of the campus buildings and locked themselves in to make the chancellor negotiate w us. the demands are rehiring the union ppl who got laid off and amnesty for students occupying the building. i was there all day through the rain, and even as i speak right now there are cops (ucpd, berkeley police, alameda county sheriff, and even swat!!!) everywhere pushing students around, barricading us, and even gassing and beating some ppl.

i dont intend to bombard you w all these crazy stuff or even to push my own political social values. i do want to ask for prayer though. bc i believe that for all of us at some point in our lives education meant and still does mean something. many of my friends are out there, and i personally have so much at stake in terms of what i believe access to higher education should be, i would LOVE your prayer for everyone's safety and God's peace and justice to reign on this campus.

thanks. PLS let me know if you want more info or have questions or are curious about whats going on.

GOD IS GOOD, HIS WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OURS, AND JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS ARE THE FOUNDATIONS OF HIS THRONE

in Him, peace