Southside was shattered. That’s what many of its residents have to say about the controversial sweep of People’s Park in early 2024.
Former residents of the park and those who used it as a place of community have said the sweep left lingering wounds. Addressing those wounds is central to Aidan Hill’s campaign for the District 7 seat of the Berkeley City Council this November.
Hill, a Berkeley resident of 10 years and a UC Berkeley alum, said in an interview that they are running to represent everyone in the district — students and permanent residents alike — and to fight for community-oriented spaces within District 7.
“We have a students-versus-residents kind of thing, and that’s why this got destroyed, because they believe that students would benefit more (from) not having a park,” Hill said in an interview Friday, standing at the corner of People’s Park on Haste Street. “I want this to be a welcoming city for everyone, regardless.”
Hill had just finished distributing food at the corner of Telegraph Avenue and Haste Street as part of their work with East Bay Food Not Bombs.
About 20 people were in line for food that day, mostly older residents of the district, some former residents of People’s Park.
“Now we’re without a park in this community,” said one of those former park residents, Natalie Noel. “There’s not community space. I’ve never seen so few parks.”
Noel added that she thought Hill was a “great fit” for the district because they could bridge the gap between its older and younger residents.
Concerns like Noel’s have played a central role in Hill’s campaign, alongside affordability and improved city services.
Hill thinks the plans for a car-free Telegraph Avenue pursued by the city and Hill’s opponent Syrak Micael will not work. They have proposed an alternative renovation to parts of Bowditch Street to prioritize pedestrian and bicycle traffic and provide public green spaces. If actualized, that plan could mean more public space on Southside, right next to People’s Park.
Hill has also advocated for a city inventory of open and public spaces in Southside to allow for better planning in the incredibly dense district.
To address Southside’s rising cost of living, especially regarding rent, Hill has called for more affordable housing and proposed greater services for evicted residents.
In their interview, they also raised concerns about future climate catastrophe and the risks of AI, although Hill described themself as an AI optimist. Parts of Hill’s campaign platforms, laid out in exacting detail on their website and partly written in the first person, were flagged by AI detector Pangram as 100% AI-generated.
Pangram claims that, on average, for every 10,000 pieces of human-written text, one will be incorrectly flagged as AI-generated — a false positive rate of less than 0.01%. However, the software can still produce false results.
Hill has acknowledged using AI to edit and prepare campaign materials, and their website discloses possible AI use. They noted that “using AI is just a tool,” and they are excited about the possible intersection of AI and nature.
“I’ve seen some YouTubers hook up machines to trees, and based off of certain movements or certain sounds, it will create a storyline for that tree,” Hill said.
Hill has positioned themself as the antiestablishment candidate in the race, facing years of “succession politics.” They face off in the race against incumbent-endorsed Micael, who has won a slew of endorsements from groups on campus and in the city.
If elected, Micael would inherit from incumbent Cecilia Lunaparra a political dynasty of students and recent UC Berkeley graduates who have won the District 7 seat in the last three elections.
“I just wanted to give people the chance to make a decision like this. We’re force-fed who to vote for, how to wear our styles, everything is chosen for us and this election’s no different,” Hill said. “There are people with money who want to see certain people in power.”
Against those odds, Hill’s campaign has worked to knock on doors and call voters across the district, while also attending events such as Friday’s food distribution. Hill has also attacked Micael for a vote he made in favor of funding People’s Park affordable housing while on the city’s Housing Advisory Commission.
Hill, who described themself as a “descendent of Mario Savio,” is a frequent sight in public comment at City Council meetings. They have previously run for both Mayor of Berkeley and for District 7 multiple times.
Micael has led Hill in endorsements and support from campus groups. Hill, however, said they have made efforts to win students in Southside, who account for a supermajority of its residents, although the district has historically low voter turnout.
In their interview, Hill objected to the idea that their main base of support lies in the district’s older, permanent residents. “It’s always been about everyone,” Hill said.
Later, they added:
“Ultimately, I just want people to be able to get along.”