Activists rang in Super Bowl Sunday with a bold statement at the contested grounds of People's Park, transforming a section of Bowditch Street into a vibrant canvas. The protestors, opposing the University of California at Berkeley's plans to erect a housing complex on the historic site, created a street mural around the behemoth barricade of shipping containers currently enclosing the park. According to SFist, the mural bore a quote from park icon Julia Vinograd: "There are many hearts buried in People's Park, and part of my own as well."
Organized by preservationists of the park and detailed on KTVU, the day's activities included "participatory painting, music and poetry," and drew a diverse crowd determined to highlight the significance of the decades-old community haven — students, long-time activists, and newcomers alike. As Lisa Teague, a previously unhoused Berkeley resident involved in the park's preservation since 2018 said, "It was a very diverse group — students, people who have been saving the park for 50 years and people who are just joining in the struggle."
The mural creation was not without friction. Security hired to monitor the site around-the-clock was not pleased as some participants began adding their own artistic touch to the cargo containers. This led to a confrontation with UC Berkeley campus police, who in trying to manage the situation, reportedly "came close to hitting one of the people standing there," Teague told SFist. There were no arrests or injuries reported from the event.
The paint for the mural was chosen for its impermanence, strategically set to gradually fade away due to weathering, perhaps symbolic of the activists' perception of their own fleeting hold over the park's future. Meanwhile, UC Berkeley maintains that the contentious housing project will bolster student housing availability by adding 1,100 units and will dedicate over 60% of People's Park to public green space and a historic memorial, a vision starkly different from the one held by those painting the streets with memories and hope.
