Published 2011-03-02T15:48:00Z”/>
Andre Byik
About 70 students stood out in the rain with signs protesting the higher education cuts and the recent tuition increases at the Student Services Center Plaza today in what was called “A Day of Action.”
Chants of “Students united will never be divided,” and “Fight the beast,” were exclaimed through a megaphone during the rainy afternoon.
“Silence is not enough anymore,” said Luis Munoz, a paraprofessional for the Cross Cultural Leadership Center and an organizer of the protest.
Resistance and speaking out is the only way that we’re going to bring out change in our country and our state, he said.
Students, standing in a line facing Meriam Library, held signs reading, “$500 million cut to CSU. CSU presidents still getting raises. WTF?” and “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”
The event was planned in just a couple days, Munoz said.
More demonstrations are being planned for this month, Munoz said.
This movement is different from the Action Rally that took place last year and was sponsored by Associated Students, he said.
“We are calling ourselves ‘The People’s Mobilizing Committee,'” Munoz said. “We have these rights, let’s utilize them. We saw what happened in other countries – Tunisia, Egypt, Libya – who are considered less democratic countries and yet look at what they did, look at what they accomplished.”
The group is holding an open meeting tonight at 6 p.m. on the second floor of Bell Memorial Union where it will discuss future plans.
The cuts to the California State University system will lead to a higher student to teacher ratio, said Xai Lao, a civil engineering senior who supported the protest. He called the tuition increases over the last decade “ridiculous.”
The divisive rhetoric of the protest isn’t helping its cause, said Darren Allen, a history and social science graduate student. He added that the proposed $500 million cut to the CSUs by Gov. Jerry Brown is a reality resulting from California’s “extreme” spending.
Protesting can inspire thought and conversation, but it is ineffective in bringing tangible results, Allen said, adding, “Who owes us an education?”
Andre Byik can be reached at
