Students at UC San Diego staged a protest Tuesday to save the iconic Che Café.
Last week, a San Diego superior court judge ruled UCSD had the right to evict the nonprofit collective from campus.
The UCSD Graduate Student Association (GSA) voted in June to take away the Che Café’s co-op status, meaning the university would not extend its lease. The university gave the café 30 days to vacate, but it did not. Che Café supporters argue the GSA did not have the authority to make that decision and the university never gave them the chance to work out a new lease agreement.
Dozens of students marched from the co-op to the chancellor’s office, banging on buckets and pans and holding signs that read “No Eviction” and “The Che Café Will Stay.” They even stopped traffic on Gilman Drive.
Protesters planned to present the chancellor with a petition of 14,000 signatures in support of the co-op staying on campus.
During the Oct. 21 court appearance, the judge ruled the Che Café would have five days to vacate after receiving a written order. However, one week later, no court order has been signed, according to Cecilia Brennan, a volunteer attorney and member of the Che Café Support Network.
The co-op has filed a motion asking for clarification of the judge's decision. The hearing is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Local
Originally named “Cheap Healthy Eats,” the Che Café was founded in 1980 and has hosted many high-profile musical acts, including Nirvana, Jimmy Eat World, Billy Corgan, Bon Iver, Bright Eyes and Green Day.
