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Former Black Panther member Joe Rice speaks in front of Campbell Hall, where two UCLA students we

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Black Panther leader John Huggins speaks in front of Kerckhoff Hall. He was one of two UCLA stude

Standing near the main eastern entrance of the newly remodeled Student Activities Center, a group of students gathered to pay tribute to the lives of a pair of student activists who died more than three decades ago.

Gary Barnes, a fourth-year African-American studies and sociology student and a member of the African Student Union, issued instructions to a group of about 35 students.

“This is a silent march. Please be quiet out of respect for the event,” he requested. He then led a march of students, aligned in two rows, to the steps of Campbell Hall.

There, against the backdrop of Campbell Hall and amid the heavy foot traffic characteristic of campus after classes adjourn, students, faculty and community members gathered to remember the tragic murders of UCLA students John Huggins and Bunchy Carter that took place 35 years ago.

Huggins, 23, and Carter, 26, were slain on Jan. 17, 1969 in the old cafeteria of Campbell Hall after the adjournment of a meeting to discuss the qualifications for the director of the Afro-American Center. Both students were members of the Black Panther Party, a controversial social protest movement that originated during the 1960s.

Many theories exist concerning the motives of the shootings. At the time, it was reported that they resulted from a power struggle between the Black Panthers and a rival group, United Slaves. The clash was over who would lead black student organizations at the university and high school levels.

Later, it was reported that members of the FBI and CIA had infiltrated both groups and exacerbated tensions between the two.

Flanked by two students holding a black-and-white picture of both Huggins and Carter on Thursday afternoon, Dr. Scot Brown, assistant professor of history at UCLA and writer of works concerning the Black Panthers and other social groups, addressed a diverse crowd of around 75.

Referring to the community-based activities of Huggins and Carter, Brown urged students to reflect upon their own lives.

“The struggle is not over. It still continues,” Brown said.

Brown also criticized present-day government policies, such as the USA PATRIOT Act, a measure passed under the Bush administration. The policy was designed to make it easier for law enforcement agencies to monitor suspected terrorists.

However, Brown claims, it undermines civil liberties and constitutes present threats to equality, much as severe racism threatened the livelihoods of blacks and other minorities during the 1960s and 1970s.

“The spector of government intervention should be a warning to us,” Brown said.

After a group of students sang a couple of gospel hymns that moved some in the audience to tears, Mohammed Mubarak, a 51-year-old former Black Panther member and friend of Huggins and Carter at the time of their death, expressed his appreciation for the turnout of the remembrance.

“This is the most beautiful sight. You’ve come to remember people that you’ve never met or talked to, but you’ve come here to pay tribute as we fight against all types of oppression,” Mubarak said.

Reminiscing the tragic event that occurred in 1969, Mubarak showed visible signs of emotion.

“It was a heavy loss. When they cut down Huggins and Carter, they took away the best leaders we had,” he said.

Some students expressed support for the speakers’ call toward greater social justice.

Jose Lara, a fourth-year history and Chicano/a studies student and member of MEChA, said he appreciated the presence of people who have fought for racial equality.

“(They can) help us organize against the current struggle,” Lara said, referring to various budget cuts “that affect the poor and people of color.”