Why are we here?

We, the informed community of UC Davis, are here occupying the fifth floor
of Mrak Hall in order to demand that Chancellor Linda Katehi resigns or is
fired, and that the hiring process is redesigned so that UC Davis students
and workers are not only a part of this process, but a major deciding body in
the selection and confirmation of a new Chancellor.
We want to acknowledge that this land, office, and university we are
occupying is on stolen Patwin land, and rightfully belongs to the Patwin
people.
Why do we want Linda Katehi removed?
The recent discovery of Katehis positions on the board of DeVry University,
King Abdulaziz University, and Wiley & Sons textbook company are not only
a conflict of interest, but an indication of Katehis insatiable drive for money
and power that have consistently come at the expense of UC Davis students
and community, and most specifically from black and brown folks both on
and off campus. These recent board positions that have associated her, and
the University as a whole, with controversial and problematic institutions
have also augmented her current salary of $414,000 annually to include an
additional $420,000 from 2012-2014 from Wiley and Sons and are reflective
of a longer history of problematic behavior by Chancellor Katehi including,
but not limited to:
Failing to appropriately address anti-Blackness and Islamophobia on
campus
Blocking the proposal to divest from companies that perpetuate the
Israeli occupation of Palestine
Increasing police presence on campus, as well as, the militarization of
their weapons and equipment
Ignoring hate crimes
Personally blocking the request for foot sinks in the SCC, and furthering
Islamophobic behavior and policy on campus
Allowing for the pepper spraying of student protestors during the
Occupy movement on campus in 2011
Recent Developments:
Instead of coming to meet with the students, Katehi has responded by
pursuing action through the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs and
with a threat of possible dismissal from the university for those involved.

Furthermore, she has not only refused to come meet with us, she has
refused to even speak with us directly and has thus forced multiple campus
administrators and staff to forfeit their time to speak and stay with us at
Mrak Hallnot to mention the great amount of time and stress being
forfeited by us.