Occupiers eye Kendall Hall

This afternoon, Dec. 1, a group called Occupy Chico State plans to rally on campus to protest the $498-per-year tuition increase approved by the California State University Board of Trustees in November. The rally is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Free Speech Area followed at 4 p.m. with an “occupation” of the university’s Kendall Hall. The building houses the school’s administration, including the office of Joe Wills, the school’s public affairs officer.

“The university police are completely aware,” he said. “They have to be ready to help because if there are students or there’s a crowd around Kendall Hall; we have a lot of people who work in this building.”

Thirty-five years ago students took over Kendall Hall to protest the arming of the University Police. A short time later, an officer accidentally fired a round into his desk.