Strange Take on People's Park

EdSource carries a rather strange article on the People's Park affair. Excerpt:

UC Berkeley continues with People’s Park student housing development despite continued resistance

When they first moved from their semi-rural hometown, Rico Marisol found the bustle of Berkeley stress-inducing. In early 2021, as a sophomore at the University of California Berkeley, they found solace under the tall, old trees of People’s Park. UC Berkeley cut down those trees last summer, in preparation for student housing construction on the site, facing pressure due to only having enough on-campus housing to support 20% of its students. Some students, like Marisol, said they are fighting against the development to defend the park’s history, green space, unhoused population and community assistance services.

The development has been shrouded in controversy since UC Berkeley announced its intentions for the park, located a tenth of a mile from the south side of campus. And most recently, a nonprofit developer pulled out of the project due to the legal limbo surrounding it...

Full story at https://edsource.org/2023/uc-berkeley-continues-with-peoples-park-student-housing-development-despite-continued-resistance/691501.

One might suppose, particularly from the headline, that the project is moving forward. In fact, it is stalled by litigation and an adverse court decision. The article itself notes the withdrawal of the developer-partner in the planned construction of student housing. Possibly, either an appeal of the decision or action by the state legislature will open the door to moving ahead. But what stopped the project initially - before the adverse court decision - was a large demonstration. It's not clear, even if the litigation blockage is removed, what UC-Berkeley (and the City of Berkeley which supports the university's plan) will do in the face of renewed demonstrations.