Planning an Event or Protest

When planning an event or protest, organizers have several questions to consider including:

Where is my protest going to be held?
What kind of activities will my protest include?
What restrictions or policies do I need to follow?

UC Santa Cruz has published this Major Event Proposal Form to streamline and simplify the process for Event Organizers to develop policy-compliant events hosted on University Controlled Property.

If you are organizing an event or protest as a representative of a Registered Student Organization (RSO), you must proceed with Event Planning through Student Organization Advising & Resources (SOAR). SOAR can help provide logistical support and guidance, including help with relevant University policies, to set the stage for a successful protest.

Expressive Activities

Expressive Activities such as protests, strikes, rallies, vigils, marches, etc are governed by the UCSC Student Handbook, Conduct Regulations (Time, Place, and Manner), California Penal Code, and the California Code of Regulations. These regulations are content-neutral and grounded in First Amendment protections. Examples of these regulations include:

Time: Amplified sound is limited to certain hours.
Place: Posting of information on university buildings is limited to designated bulletin boards.
Manner: Distribution of literature may not obstruct the ingress and egress from university buildings.

Certain activities that are common during these protests require advance permitting. More information can be found online. these include:

Use of Outdoor Amplified Sound (such as loudspeakers and blowhorns)
Use of Temporary Structures (such as canopies and platforms)
Special Events & Open Flame / Cooking

Activity Locations

Several areas have been specifically designated as public forums, including:

Quarry Amphitheater
College “quadrangles”
Grassy area between the University of California sign and the Granary and Stone House buildings near the intersection of High Street and Coolidge Drive.
Quarry Plaza

In addition to the list above, expressive activities may occur at all “university grounds open to the public”, which the University defines as:
“outdoor areas of the campus (e.g. lawns, patios, plazas) that are at least 100 feet from the entrances/exits of campus buildings and parking lots, and that are also a safe distance from the curbing of campus roads.”

In all cases, groups that specifically reserve these spaces for planned events have priority for use over activities that do not reserve the space.

Reserving Space

Some protests will require that the Protest Organizer specifically request to use a University facility or space. The UC Santa Cruz Spaces website provides information on reserving areas on campus.

Planning an Event or Protest