The very definition of the non-violent protest in response to aggression by the police on the Berkeley campus.

Courtesy of Digital Journal:

More then 30 students were arrested Wednesday on the campus of UC Berkeley after UCPD moved to take control of an area where students were trying to set up an encampment, reports Associated Press. 

The students were part of a group of hundreds of protesters who began gathering in "Sproul Plaza on Bancroft Street and Telegraph Avenue chanting “No cuts, no fees, education must be free,” and “The people, united, will never be divided,” while holding signs bearing slogans such as “Defend public education now,” according to the Daily Californian, who live-blogged the event. 

Campus police, assisted by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and the Oakland Police Department, responded to the attempted take-over by the students in riot gear. Armed with batons and carrying zip-tie handcuffs the police attempted to establish a perimeter around the encampment. Dispersal orders were issued to protesters who responded with "will not be moved." 

Students, who were in violation of an order by vice chancellor for student affairs, Harry Le Grande, that said demonstrators could stay overnight in the plaza and could have canopies, but were not permitted to have tents or sleeping bags, refused to leave when ordered. Le Grange had also banned cooking, make fires and sleeping during the Occupy protest. 

Police responded to the refusal to disperse in a violent skirmish with demonstrators. Student's were struck with batons while camera's caught the disturbing scene on film.

Watching this video is incredibly disturbing and, though I understand that the police were following orders, I have no idea how that level of aggression can be justified against an unarmed, peaceful gathering of students.

Something about this taking place on the UC Berkeley campus, a campus made famous for protesting the Vietnam war, makes it seem even more egregious to me.

And this is not the only place in California that is doing an extremely poor job of dealing with the protests.