A People’s Park forum: We’re Still Here: What We Want and How We Get There

A People’s Park forum

Thursday, September 24, 2026
Doors at 7 p.m. · Panel at 7:30 p.m.
SoCo, 2170 Dwight Way, Berkeley
2170 Dwight Way, at Fulton and Dwight

People’s Park has been enclosed, but the community connected to it has not disappeared.

People are still gathering, feeding one another, offering support, making art, preserving history, and organizing across Southside. What is happening now? Why are we still here? What do we want for People’s Park and the people connected to it, and how do we get there?

Join:

• Lou Pineda, Berkeley Barb
• Erick Morales, University Homes
• Katelin Pfeil, Riya Irigireddy, and Michelle Choi, Suitcase Clinic
• Paul Kealoha Blake, City of Berkeley’s Homeless Panel of Experts
• Joe Liesner, Food Not Bombs

Moderated by Aidan Hill, Berkeley City Council District 7 candidate.

After the introductory presentations, Aidan will ask questions about what People’s Park represents today, what respect from UC Berkeley and the City should look like in practice, and how the community can organize toward its goals. The conversation will then open to audience questions.

Schedule

• 7:00 p.m. Doors open
• 7:30 p.m. Panel begins
• Approximately 8:20 p.m. Moderator questions
• Approximately 8:40 p.m. Audience questions
• 9:00–10:00 p.m. Food, art, and community gathering

Whether you have been connected to People’s Park for decades or are just learning about its history, come listen, ask questions, and help shape what comes next.

Everyone is welcome.

Please contact the organizers in advance with access needs so we can do our best to accommodate them.