Seventeen students and elders arrested in overwhelming police assault on DQ University

March 31, 2008
8:06 p.m.

By Steve Jerome-Wyatt, one of the people arrested today, and the Acknowledged Spokesman for the SPECTRE Group Affiliated Obsidian Nation.

Davis, CA
Special to the A.O.N. KINDRED SPIRIT ARCHIVES


Brothers and Sisters:

At 9:45 a.m. this morning, a large force of Yolo County Sheriffs stormed the buildings at DQ University, battering their way into the Hallway of the large dorm -backing each other with guns drawn, and arrested 17 students, community supporters, and elders.

Since last Friday, the students were aware of a looming police action on campus; but no one thought that the cops would come in so quickly and in such overwhelming numbers.

The first notice that the students received of the cops' presence was a flying squad of three white sheriff's cars that sped into the main parking lot at high speed. At the same time, an equal number of other police cars rushed into the area next to the fire circle from the north.

In the resulting confusion, the police didn't give anyone a chance to either leave the grounds or face imminent arrest. The cops immediately began grabbing men and women; - EVEN A SKINNY BLACK CAT- and putting handcuffs on them. The cops shouted, "get on your knees, you're under arrest for trespassing!"

As this was taking place on the east side of the Large Dorm, a large group of visiting community supporters (about ten people) slipped out the front door of the Dining Room. They made a break for freedom by running through the farm fields to the west. They were successful in their exodus; the cops knew that they were running away, but the cops didn't make a move to stop them.

Instead, the cops concentrated on forcing The People into a large kneeling circle on the grass and open area next to the Sacred Fire Circle -which burned brightly through the entire raid. Overhead, a Sheriff's airplane circled DQ University, again and again.

There were cop cars ALL OVER DQ University this morning. They swept past the barricade of hay bales that had been placed across the entrance of the school. Some of them sealed off the main entrance gate on County Road 31. Others gathered in the driveway between the Large Dorm and the Maintenance Building.

The cops that came for us came prepared: they brought along a huge paddy wagon, into which they eventually herded seventeen of our people. Soon afterward, we could see the cops sweeping the buildings for anyone who might be trying to hide from them. The cops even got onto the roofs of the buildings, walking around, searching for more people to arrest. Our friend the skinny black cat was stuffed into an animal-control pickup, specially called for this purpose.

As the arrests were unfolding, members of the DQ University Board of Trustees were parked close by in a mini-van, laughing. The boards "consultant," -a woman named Susan Reece- used the occasion to take photographs of the cops leading us around in handcuffs.

A TV News van from KCRA Channel 3 (Sacramento) arrived at the entrance of DQ University as the arrests were taking place. But the cops barred the TV people from coming onto school property, insisting that the area was "a crime scene" and for that reason Channel 3 had to stay out.

After going through "pre-booking" in the big parking just west of the Administration building, the cops drove us to Woodland jail, where they took over three hours to book us.

When we were were finally released from jail, at about 4:30 p.m, we were greeted in the jail parking lot by a large group of jubilant supporters.

We were interviewed live on KPFA Radio, as we stood in the jail parking lo. Our wrists were still red and sore from the handcuffs that we'd been forced to wear for hours. We described how the DQ University Board of trustees had asked the Yolo County Sheriff's Department Woodland commit this armed aggression against the sixteen peaceful people who -until today- had dared to call California's Only Tribal College (DQ University) "home."

This message is being written in the middle of an emergency meeting about today's arrests, called by M.E.Ch.A group of UC Davis. We are going to talk about what we're going to do to respond the challenge that the corrupt Board of Trustees of DQ University has issued to the American Indian and Mexica world today.

This is all for now. Write back for a complete list of the names of the people who were arrested today.

IN ADDITION: The first three students who were arrested for 'trespassing' at DQ on February 20th are scheduled to appear in Woodland Superior Court this Wednesday, April 2, at 8:30 a.m. The students are sending out an urgent appeal for assistance to the community; Please attend the student's court hearing.

This is all for now. Write back for a complete list of the names of the people who were arrested today. And remember:

THE REAL DQ WILL NEVER DIE

for the Affiliated Obsidian Nation,
Steve Jerome-Wyatt