[4][5] It began as a planned protest through which the UP community and transport workers would denounce a three centavo increase in oil prices under the administration of Marcos.

However, this changed when violence marred the proceedings on the first day of the protest, resulting in the wounding and eventual death of Chemistry student Pastor "Sonny" Mesina, after which the Philippine Constabulary Metropolitan Command attempted to storm the campus and suppress the protest.

After this, the demands of the protests shifted from focusing on stopping oil price increase and instead became more about the end of the use of military force in the campus.

[1] The occupation ended on February 9 when students took down the barricades voluntarily, believing that the administration had conceded to eight demands which included a rollback of gasoline prices, a promise of justice for Sonny Mesina, and a guarantee that the military or police would not enter the campus in the future.

They also took control of the DZUP radio station and the UP Press, and ran their own publication called the Bandilang Pula ("Red Flag").