In July and August 1991, protests erupted at People's Park in Berkeley, California over the construction of beach volleyball courts on the site; although the site belonged to the University, it had remained vacant since the Bloody Thursday riot of May 15, 1969, after it had been cleared in 1968 for student housing that was never built. Denovo had been involved in those 1991 riots, leading to her arrest that summer for trespassing and vandalism on campus property, and for carrying concealed weapons and attacking police officers at the People's Park protests. On July 31, 1991, Denovo, her boyfriend, and a transient they had befriended were arrested while hiding in bushes near University House, the Chancellor's residence. They were cited for prowling and released; according to the transient, they had gone to "find the chancellor's house to see how to get inside it to blow it up."