"Clash Over People's Park: Protests and Police Action Amid Construction Controversy"

Residents near People's Park in Berkeley have been unexpectedly confined to their neighborhood by police barricades set up to restrict access during a construction operation. Lou Cornum, a subletting resident and assistant professor, found themselves unable to leave for fear of not being able to return due to lack of proof of residency. UC Berkeley has established a temporary phone line to assist residents like Cornum, but the lack of prior notice and the heavy police presence have caused distress among locals. The university's actions, including towing cars without prior warning, have been criticized as an overreach, particularly as they aim to prevent protests against the construction of student housing on the park grounds.