Occupy Colleges met with resistance on some campuses

 The Occupy Colleges movement, which first formed in the weeks after Occupy Wall Street descended upon Zuccotti Park, has been received with mixed reactions from different campuses. Occupy Colleges has called upon students through social networking to stage walkouts, protests and teach-in's.

People participating at some schools, though, have been met with resistance by campus officials. Harvard University officials issued a statement last week prohibiting non-students from occupying Harvard Yard.

“The events of [Wednesday] night raised safety concerns,” said the university’s provost and executive vice president. “The number of demonstrators was large, many of the demonstrators were not from Harvard, and specific behaviors were troubling."

That statement came after about 400 members of the Occupy Boston movement joined Harvard students in a march to the school's main gate.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that officials from Seattle Central Community College want tents set up by protesters off the campus. A spokeswoman said trash, rats, drinking and drug use have all increased on campus since protesters moved in. There is no law against camping on campus, so school officials cannot evict protesters, but the school is consulting with state attorneys to explore other legal options.

Tents set up by protesters have also proved to be a point of contention at UC Berkeley. About 40 people were arrested last week, including 32 students, when they tried to pitch tents on campus.

"The campus is not a campground and we will do our best to enforce the rules and regulations," said UC police Chief Mitch Celaya to MercuryNews.com. "When people are chain-linked together and are not complying, they make it hard on the officers."

Still, the Occupy Colleges movement continues to grow, encouraging a "student strike" for this Thursday, November 17. So, 14 schools have been registered as participants on the movement's website.

Cassandra Garrison

New York