The People’s Park bathroom mural — 1992

 

Brand new, 1992.

I just stumbled across this photo on the internet of the mural me and Duncan painted on the People’s Park bathroom in 1992 (everything ends up on the internet, don’t it?).

It was a seminal moment in the history of People’s Park (for those of you keeping score at home). The installation of the People’s Park bathrooms (as well as me and Duncan’s groovy mural).

The People (for lack of a better word) had seized the property from the University back in 1969. And defiantly held on to the property for 23 years ( long story short: “the 60s,” “the hippies,”  “the liberal Berkeley,” “the Revolution, man!!” etc etc).

Anyways, after 23 years of conflict — this power struggle — this Cold War between The People and The University over who actually controls People’s Park — the University finally admitted defeat in 1992. “OK. We’ll keep it as a Park.”

So the University built bathrooms, basketball courts and volleyball courts.

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2017. Fading, fading, fading. . .

The People basically said: “OK. We like the bathrooms and the basketball courts. But we don’t like the volleyball courts.” And they basically tore the volleyball courts down. (It was The People basically saying to The University: “OK. We like that you conceded and are going to keep it as a Park. But that doesn’t mean we’re gonna arbitrarily let you do whatever the fuck you want. Because we don’t trust you as far as you can spit. We, The People, still rule People’s Park. And right on, and etc).”

And that’s basically how it’s remained for the last 25 years.

Until last week. When The University basically announced: “FUCK THIS SHIT. WE’RE TEARING DOWN THIS FUCKING PARK.”

And that’s where we’re at as of this moment.

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