Civil Disobedience and Reality Collide

Today as I walked out of my building to go home from work, I walked past local police officers suiting up in riot gear. They were preparing rubber bullet rifles, tear gas and batons to march over and subdue a group of protesting students who had taken over a classroom building and a section of campus for 24 hours in response to a 32 % tuition and fee hike at the University. There were buses from the Sherriff's Department parked beside the Uni Police department and it was clear what was about to happen. The conflict would end and the students would be taken out. I had seen the buses arrive earlier in the day and knew that this would be the outcome. They could not let them stay there for the weekend. The news reports that the students were cited for trespassing and left the building voluntarily.

Personally, I believe in the rights of the students to protest and when I was a student, I protested various issues ranging from investment in apartheid ventures to support of the pro-choice movement. I am experienced in civil action of this kind.

Today our building was locked down. We had to show ID's to get in and out. The students pulled the fire alarm and we all had to go outside. They pulled them in every building near that area of campus.

The larger perspective on this issue is that this raise in cost will put the public education at the price of private education. That is not right. There needs to be public access to education in this country.

I think that this issue needs to be protested differently. If it were my time in college, I would take it to the politicians who cut the funding to the University. On to Sacramento...I do believe the root cause of this lies there. As a public institution our budget is determined there.

Anyways...rambling thoughts on a Friday night. Read if you want. :P


by alleigh