People’s Park celebrates 52 years of community in Berkeley

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Arts and Culture, Community Events, Features
Berkeley-based pop punk band, Sarchasm, plays on the red and blue People's Park stage. The band plays beneath easy ups on the stage to protect themselves and their instruments from the rain.
(Kit Castagne)

Berkeley-based pop-punk band, Sarchasm, plays on the People’s Park stage. As they play, a group of 30-some people dance in the rain. Sarchasm was one of 17 musical groups and individuals who performed at the April 25 celebration.

People dance in the mud in front of the people's park stage. Raindrops can be seen falling from the sky.
(Kit Castagne)
An old white man with a white beard and long gray hair stares straight into the camera with his mouth open in song. He holds one hand to his heart passionately. He is wearing a brown fedora and a green button up shirt.
(Kit Castagne)
Young people in raincoats jump in the air, dancing the the music.
(Kit Castagne)

The group who gathered on the rainy afternoon was a diverse mix of folks of all ages, and included both those who live at the park and those who simply enjoy the community it offers. Some pointed out that this was the first anniverary in recent memory where there were actually people living at the park—a new development since the COVID pandemic. Before COVID, UC police did not allow people to set up tents and stay over night.

Tents can be seen behind a series of hand made signs that read, "people's park, power to the people"
(Kit Castagne)
People dance in the rain, holding umbrellas above their heads. Raindrops can be seen falling from the sky.
(Kit Castagne)
The people's park community kitchen with tents in the background. In the foreground a trash can is painted with a mural that reads "make love not war."

As People’s Park stares down the barrel of the UC’s 2022 development plans, students and community members have joined forces in recent months to protest the proposed student housing, and bring new life to the park. Art classes, self defense classes, food distribution, and more take place on a weekly basis these days. To learn more, check out @peoplesparkberkeley on Instagram, and check out the People’s Park Committee meetings every Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

A hand painted sign that says "People's Park 52 years"
(Kit Castagne)

Kit Castagne is a San Francisco native photographer who has spent his career covering music and current events in the Bay Area, Boston, and New York. Find him online here, or on Instagram at: @kit_castagne. Alastair Boone is the Editor in Chief of Street Spirit.