An annual bonfire rally at UCLA in advance of Saturday's football game against USC turned into a political standoff Thursday night as protesters upset about tuition hikes approved earlier in the day staged a sit-in and prevented the fire from being lit.
As many as 70 protesters gathered late Thursday afternoon and sat around the wood pile that had been placed on Wilson Plaza. As the rally began with musical acts around 6:30 p.m., university police and administrators tried unsuccessfully to get the protesters to leave.
The group refused to budge. At one point, they walked in a circle around the wood pile. There were no immediate reports of any arrests.
Police and fire officials ultimately decided to cancel the bonfire. UCLA head football coach Jim Mora, who was on stage introducing some of the players, ultimately broke the news to the crowd of thousands of Bruin students that the bonfire had been scrubbed.
"We can't light the bonfire tonight due to circumstances beyond our control," he told the crowd.
He told the crowd not to boo the decision, and said, "We don't need a freakin' fire to get it (expletive) turned up." He then invited the crowd to dance as loud music blared. Mora returned a short time later and apologized for the profanity.
The UC Board of Regents, meeting in San Francisco, approved tuition hikes that will boost students' costs by up to 5 percent a year for five years.
