Rallies across California decry high-education funding cuts [Updated]

A day of passionate protest against education funding cuts attracted thousands of demonstrators Thursday to generally peaceful rallies, walkouts and teach-ins at universities and high schools throughout California and the nation.

From Los Angeles to New York and from San Diego to Humboldt, students, faculty and parents at many schools decried higher student fees, reduced class offerings and teacher layoffs in what organizers describe as a "Day of Action for Public Education."

"We are paying more to get less of an education. That’s why I’m out here today to protest against that," said Cal State Long Beach art education student Jessica Naujoks, who joined an estimated 2,500 others at a campus rally there.

There were reports of some trouble in northern California. Demonstrators blocked access to UC Santa Cruz and smashed the windshield of a car, triggering denunciations of such violence. At UC Berkeley, fire alarms were pulled in some classroom buildings, interrupting lectures. [Updated at 6:36 p.m.: More than 100 protesters went onto the 880 Freeway in Oakland, forcing authorities to temporarily shut it down during rush hour. Some streets near Cal State Northridge were also being closed by police because of demonstrations there.]

In the sprawling Los Angeles Unified School Districts, walkouts were reported at six schools, involving about 540 students in all, many of whom then returned to class, officals said. "This was very, very calm," said Earl Perkins, asst. superintendent for school operations.

In Southern California, the largest event was expected to be in downtown Los Angeles’ Pershing Square, where busloads of demonstrators arrived from schools across the region. They then were to march a few blocks away to the state office building on Spring Street.

Earlier in the day, campus police estimated that about 500 people gathered at UCLA’s Bruin Plaza. Chanting "Who’s got the power? We’ve got the power," students and professors walked out of classes for the lunchtime protest. Later, a crowd held a sit-in at Murphy Hall, the school’s administrative headquarters, but police guarded the office of UCLA chancellor Gene Block to prevent a possible takeover.

UCLA Professor Sara Ö Melzer joined her students in a walkout from their French culture and writing course because she said she wants to stop what she described as the privatization of public higher education. "It’s not just about student fee hikes," she said. "That’s the tip of the iceberg."

Roselyn Valdez, 28, an anthropology graduate student at Cal State Northridge, participated in the UCLA demonstration and held white sign that showed a skeleton drawing black print that read "RIP UC." She said it stood for the demise of the public education system that helped her study at Los Angeles City College, UC Santa Barbara and now at Cal State Northridge.

Valdez said she used loans, scholarships and worked various jobs to pay her education costs. "With fee hikes I can’t imagine anyone else having the chance that I did," she said.

At Cal State Dominguez Hills in the Carson area, about 50 students gathered in front of the student union with some shouting "Give My Education Back" and carrying signs that proclaimed: "From Pre-K to Ph.D., Let Me Go to School." They played a mock wheel of fortune game with stops that included "graduating in four years with a good education" and "getting a 30% fee increase."

Chris Morales, 22, junior majoring in business major, said it was good to be part of a large protest effort, linking rallies around the state and nation. "I feel like this is a big movement that might make a difference," he said.

At UC Santa Cruz, upward of 200 protesters blocked the two main campus roadway entrances and reportedly smashed a car windshield with a metal pipe, officials said. There was no report of injury to the driver and no arrest was made, although police are investigating the matter. All UC Santa Cruz employees were told not to attempt to drive to campus for the rest of the day.

Campus provost Provost David Kliger denounced the windshield incident. "Behavior that degrades into violence, personal intimidation, and disrespect for the rights of others is reprehensible, and does nothing to aid efforts to restore funding to the university," he said in a statement posted on the campus website.

UC Berkeley, about 150 protesters – at times chanting "Money for jobs and education, not for war and incarceration" – blocked the main pedestrian entrance to campus, Sather Gate, for a while, although they allowed disabled students through. Some demonstrators marched through some classrooms where classes were briefly interrupted and some fire alarms were pulled, a campus spokes person said. Later, a crowd of about 1,000 marched into the Telegraph Avenue shopping district and through city streets to the UC system headquarters in Oakland, about six miles away. Berkeley police said there were no arrests and no reports of damage by late afternoon.

--Larry Gordon in Los Angeles, Carla Rivera in Long Beach, Nicole Santa Cruz in Westwood

Video: The Downtown protest. Credit: Nicole Santa Cruz / Los Angeles Times

Photos: 1.Students dance to a zydeco band as they join hundreds of Cal State Long Beach students, teachers and parents in rally and protest during a national day of protests against education funding cuts. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times / March 4, 2010) 2:  Trade union members form a picket line Thursday in Bruin Plaza at UCLA to protest continuing budget cuts and fee increases in public education. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times / March 4, 2010) 3. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times / March 4, 2010)

Protesters are reflected in sunglasses at UCLA. Similar protests across the country are billed as a "Day of Action" and spotlight severe cuts in education that have struck schools from coast to coast.

Comments

[Tornadoes28]

Rallies against education cuts = rallies for cuts in other programs such as aid to families with children, etc. Think about it. What do these protester's suggest?

[Brittanicus]

California schools are overcrowded--crammed to its inability to educate and--WHY--you ask. WHY! Is very simple? The schools through k-12 to even college level have been hijacked by millions of illegal alien schools children and students. It's become a heavy burden on not just California, but all border states. It's been spreading like rotten fruit for decades and its now uncontrollable. That the truth of where taxpayers money is going? Its certainly not going for Americas infrastructure that's crumbling. It's not going to our homeless veterans, our senior citizens or single Mothers. The liberal 's assembly in Sacramento have frowned on any law that cuts public subsidies to who ignored our laws of sovereignty. California--has become a--THE SANCTUARY STATE --for these illegal immigrants and families who are robbing each state blind, in health care, education and a long list of supporting program that is costing--BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

Steve Poizner, just filed his intention to be Governor and is the perfect candidate to bring California out of the financial doldrums, because he is a anti-illegal immigrant. He has also stated he will cut of all public subsidies to illegal immigrants, which could help stop the draining of the states treasuries of--BILLIONS--of dollars.

If you want to learn more how laws are being undermined by corruption in Washington go to NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIALWATCH, IMMIGRATIONBUZZ, RIGHTSIDENEWS & DIRECTORBLUE. Or call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 for a more direct approach.

[Ken P.]

I don't know why college tuition has skyrocketed over the last two decades - more than health insurance. Why do colleges and universities get a free ride on this issue with no oversight - while students and taxpayers suffer? When businesses and homeowners are bankrupt and people are leaving the state in droves - it's time for colleges and universities to cut back as well.

[Tara Murphy]

Hey, maybe we can convince the feds to release the $700 million education subsidy to CA's colleges and universities since the recalcitrant teacher's union blew it by refusing to join "the race to the top".

[These Dodgers Suck]

You have to hand it to them / in LA creative stupidity is always in fashion

[robert blake]

corrupt and incompetent Teachers Union..overpaid teachers and staff..after decades and decades of substandard performance..

time to shake this system...

[kuruc]

we got the power, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY?

[t johnston]

Why is a 28 year old female demonstrating.
I have paid her school hundreds of thousands for her education.
She will no doubt be one of the wonderful liberals who skip out on all school loans.
Jesus

[Ed M.]

The cuts at UC have nothing to do with any budget crisis. Undergraduate fees that are paid by undergraduates provide enough money to fund UC undergraduate education. The problem is that salaries for administrators and tenured faculty who don't do any teaching are sky-high. The faculty who actually DO most of the teaching are paid little, are untenured, and get laid off every few years. The undergraduate tuition money goes to fund graduate education, often for programs that are not needed. Then the M.A. and Ph.D. students who are graduated from these programs cannot get jobs in the real world. Yet the money keeps going to these graduate programs because tenured faculty would rather teach graduates than undergraduates. This entire "crisis" is about a desire for some in the UC to have more national prestige as a university, at the expense of actually TEACHING the Californian children of Californian taxpayers. That in a nutshell is what is happening at the UC. California's taxpayers must DEMAND that the UC serve THEM -- and teach their children.

[Bart Anderson]

Good for the kids! This situation is a disgrace. To tie in a little side story here...Frank and Jamie McCourt, owners of the Dodgers had about $108 million worth of income over the last five years and paid NO INCOME TAX. So, let me get this straight...it is OK to raise tuition in the UC system by over 30% PER YEAR for kids who have very limited funds, but , we shouldn't expect the McCourts to pay any taxes to support public education?

[G.Patton]

They should just drop out and get a job. According to the latest government statistics unemployment is dropping and we have averted the Great Recession.

[AdoptiveFather, Los Angeles CA]

Sorry kiddies but we're broke.

Tell the politicians to give back their lifetime medical and outrageous pensions. Push the tax button and the rest of the economy and jobs disappear.

Next stop Soviet style breadlines.

[Jesse]

I am a student at UC Santa Cruz and the remarks by the Executive Vice Chancellor David Kliger regarding the smashed car window are a blatant lie to denounce the protest. It's completely fictitious. A car drove through the protesters which caused the smashed windshield. The entire protest was peaceful and well organized. We all understand that violence will never afford our demands and we hold restraint.

[HF]

Ok, as far as I've seen there are no proposed cuts from the state to education this year...at least thus far. The 'cuts' are b/c there is no federal stimulus money this year. So even if the state increased education funding this year, schools are still going to have to cut their budgets to compensate for lack of federal stimulus funds.

[j. davis]

Only 500 protesters show up at UCLA? Another 500 or so people walk out at LAUSD? The numbers don't lie. NOBODY CARES! The real "news" story is that WE DON'T CARE. The Times is desperately trying to milk a story(along with local tv), that doesn't exist. Soooooo...........stop covering this non-story! Why not cover the amount of taxpayer money lost by sending out extra police to deal with the knuckleheads who would be better served by going to class or studying. Wake up little kiddies and get a job. People who work full-time and go to college??? As an employer, those are the best employees. Get your asses back to class

[j. davis]

Wow! Way to go Cal State Dominguez. 50 people showed up. Nice work. Wait. wait a minute......UC Berk had 200(!) protesters. Wow, I think this protest might gain some steam. How in the world does CSULB rally up 2500 people, while CAL can't even get 250 people? Time to find a new cause. I propose that we create a new law, ordinance, pact, deal, gospel, that states the following: In order for a "protest" to qualify as a "protest", a minimum of 3 or 4 people must show up(not including "media").

[Cali circular firing squad]

Smithers release the hounds on the hippies. California doesn't have a pot to pee in but they still want to spend the money. When you fail do not blame accept responsibilty for taking what once the golden state and destoying it through your own avarice.

[tarwater]

Attention protesters! Your concerns are valid. You need to address the fundamental problem -- too many people in the U.S.A.

[Michael]

Students protesting for lower fees.

Teachers protesting for higher pay and no layoffs.

Do you think they know they are protesting the opposite side of the same issue?

No wonder California education sucks.

[Robert Blake]

all this protest amounted to ....what??

[Sky High]

You know your country is a disaster when they "refuse to care for education" yet those same folks who refuse to fund education complain the most about paying more taxes, well you are gonna pay more when their is more folks on unemployment and other social programs!!!

[Baffled Observer]

The handwriting has been on the wall since Prop 13 passed. Opponents tried to tell supporters that there's no such thing as a free lunch. The people who voted for it have almost all long since lost the tax relief--they've moved or died, and the new owners of their houses were re-assessed. But corporations rarely move and never die, so they--the real intended beneficiaries--are enjoying permanent benefits.

No taxes=no services. This is only the beginning.

[carolinem]

All the screaming and yelling in the world will not stop the exodus of business people and middle class homeowners from fleeing the state because of its oppressive tax and regulatory burdens. The funding spigot is gone. Time to face reality.

[These Dodgers Suck]

I dislike whiny children as much as I do the dodgers

[Debbie]

At least these kids are seeking an education vs the gang banger sitting in prison that we are paying $50,000 per prisoner per year for!

Talk about getting freebies! Prisoners use your tax dollars for food, clothing, shelter, legal advice, health-care, rehab/recreation and yes education!

Maybe the kids trying to get an education should just drop out, commit a crime and have the taxpayer pay for them forever!