The tents sprang up around 1 p.m. on Thursday and since then police have taken a very hands off approach. There are six tents here in front of Sproul Hall and about 15 people as part of Occupy Cal.
This is the same spot where officers forcibly removed several tents last fall. Students say they've come back because their demands about halting tuition hikes have gone unanswered. Police and the dean of students have warned the group that lodging material on campus is in violation of school policy. Protesters, however, aren't budging yet.
"From here on we're going to be strategizing about what's going to happen essentially, based on numbers, based on what the cops are willing to do to get us out of here. That's something that's being worked on and developed," said protester Navid Shaghaghi.
At one point, protesters had a large paper mache mushroom on display. They say it symbolized their resilience and persistence. As one protester put it, "We're like fungi, we grow back."
