The park, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is owned by UC Berkeley, was fenced off just after 3 a.m. and staffed by security.
Berkeleyside reportsthat construction crews, flanked by dozens of security guards, entered People’s Park in the pre-dawn hours, taking a handful of opponents by apparent surprise. An eight-foot fence was erected around the park’s perimeter.
In a standoff between opponents, three activists were detained by campus police. They were subsequently released after agreeing to seven-day stay away orders.
Community advocates opposed to the plan for housing said they were planning to file an appeal Wednesday morning and pursue another stay of demolition.
A UC Berkeley spokesperson said the university was looking forward to starting construction this summer.
The university plans to build 11-hundred rooms for student housing and supportive housing for homeless people.
