A candlelight vigil was held on the steps of UC Berkeley's Wheeler Hall Tuesday in response to the use of force by police at a campus protest Nov. 20.

About 70 people gathered to collectively voice their opinions on the conduct of law enforcement last Friday, during which police beat students with batons and wielded other weapons at a number of demonstrators in the crowd of about 1,500 people.

The protest centered around the more than 12-hour occupation of Wheeler Hall by 40 demonstrators.

Claire Sarraille, organizer of the event, said she hoped the vigil would give students a place to talk about Friday's events and recount the force police used on protesters.

"We just decided to have a vigil to show that our movement is nonviolent and hear from people who want to come forth and talk about police brutality," Sarraille said.

Yaman Salahi, a UC Berkeley alumnus who was visiting friends in Berkeley for the weekend when the protest occurred, said he decided to stay and support the protesters after witnessing a "hostile act" bypolice against a student on Friday.

"I was really shocked by everything that I saw," he said. "I never expected to see this on a university campus."

Over the course of Friday, close to 200 law enforcement officials from UCPD, Berkeley Police Department, Oakland Police Department and Alameda County Sheriff's Office were on duty at the demonstration.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau wrote in a campuswide e-mail sent Monday that many individuals have written to the campus expressing concerns about police brutality during Friday's demonstrations.

"Our priority in dealing with the demonstration was to provide for the safety and well-being of the entire campus community," Birgeneau said in the e-mail. "We truly regret the incidents that brought physical and emotional injury to members of our community."

Salahi said bringing in police dressed in riot gear during the protest showed a lack of interest in the student body.

"I hold (Birgeneau) personally responsible for the decision to expose students to the dangers of the police force," he said. "I think it's clearly his responsibility as chancellor and leader of the campus to watch out for student interests."

Sarraille said she hopes the vigil will allow students to speak up and be heard by their peers about what they experienced Friday.

Birgeneau wrote in the e-mail that UCPD is conducting a review of the role of police in Friday's events that will be used for an independent investigation by the Campus Police Review Board composed of students, faculty and staff.

Tags: NOVEMBER STRIKE, UCPD