Charges have been dropped against eight protesters, including a Peninsula High School graduate, arrested outside the campus home of a University of California chancellor in December.
Rolling Hills Estates resident and 2006 Peninsula High School graduate Laura Thatcher was arrested late Friday, Dec. 11 along with UC Berkeley students Zachary Bowin, 21, and Angela Miller, 20; UC Davis student Julia Litman-Cleper, 20; City University of New York graduate student Carwil James, 34; Fullerton resident John Friesen, 25; Oakland resident David Morse, 41; and San Francisco resident Donnell Allen, 41.
Thatcher, 21, is an art student at UC Davis.
The group was taken into custody after university police responded to an incident at the home of UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau over the weekend of Dec. 11.
About 40 to 70 protesters, voicing objections to UC budget cuts and student fee increases, threw lighted torches at police cars and the chancellor's residence on the north side of the Berkeley campus. Police said windows, lights and planters were damaged in the incident.
No fire or injuries were reported.
The eight protestors was charged with rioting, threatening an education official, attempted burglary, attempted arson of an occupied building, felony vandalism and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. The group was held for four days at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Bail was set at $132,500.
Initially, charges against the protesters were delayed, after a Alameda County superior court judge told a packed court room on Tuesday, Dec. 15 prosecutors needed more time to investigate the incident.
Charges were dropped later that day.
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