Ward Connerly, former UC Regent and one of the architects of California’s Propoition 209, the bill that ended affirmative action in the state, joined the Berkeley College Republicans’ "Diversity Bake Sale" this morning.

The College Republicans started selling baked goods at 10am PT this morning. Their first customer was UC Berkeley Professor of Political Science Wendy Brown, who tried to buy all the baked goods but wasn’t allowed.

"I thought the Republicans were free enterprise, but they won’t let me buy all the cupcakes," Brown told the Daily Californian.

Several counter protests were organized by students, including a phone bank in support of SB 185 — the senate bill that triggered the Republicans’ bake sale. If passed, SB185 would allow University of California and Cal State schools to consider race, gender and economic background when making admission decisions.

Members of the group known as By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) chanted directly in front of the bake sale at one point: "Affirmative action is a must. We won’t go to the back of the bus" and "Hey hey, ho ho, this racist bake sale’s got to go."

An estimated 300 demonstrators also dressed in black had a "die in" and laid across Sproul Plaza, according to the University’s newspaper.  (Photo by Bryan Gerhart.)