The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 75/No. 46      December 19, 2011

 
California university students
protest tuition hikes
 
BY ZACH LIDDLE
AND BETSEY STONE  
DAVIS, Calif.—Hundreds of University of California, Davis students convened on the campus quad here Nov. 28, next to the encampment of “Occupy UC Davis,” as part of a student strike and day of protest that coincided with a meeting of the Board of Regents, the body that runs the UC system. They were joined by professors, campus workers and people from the community who turned out to demonstrate against the pepper spraying of students 10 days earlier by campus police and yet another threatened raise in tuition.

With chants of “No cuts, no fees, education must be free!” the students occupied Dutton Hall for the day. Many did not attend class and some professors cancelled classes or held them outside.

Last week an estimated 5,000 students crowded into the quad for a rally against the pepper spraying incident.

Amy Zink, who studies human development, said she is protesting because she and other students will not be able to afford any tuition increases. “You have to fight if you want change,” she said.

University of California tuition is now $12,192 for California residents, more than twice what it was in 2005.

The Militant spoke with Tara Norwood and Francesca Moreno, two of the students who were pepper sprayed by campus police while protesting the cuts. “We were all peaceful,” Norwood said. “We were just sitting there and the police were not trapped.”  
 
 
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