This story was reported for the San Diego News Network on March 4, 2010.
A daylong effort against budget cuts led by student organizers throughout the San Diego region concluded with about 1,200 protesters gathering outside Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s San Diego office late Thursday afternoon.
Labeled the “Strike and Day of Action in Defense of Public Education,” the protests led by students at UC San Diego, SDSU, City College and others expressed anger against the state government and the millions of dollars cut to the education system in the past months.
“Education is a fundamental right and we’re standing up for it now,” said City College student Wayne Sherra, who led the group of protesters. “We are united today against the politicians and the cuts to education. We’re not taking it… we’re saying no more.”
Similar protests were seen statewide across various college campuses which concluded at different civic offices in their regions. Though individual marches began Thursday morning at UCSD, SDSU and City College, the groups congregated at Balboa Park in the evening and marched to Schwarzenegger’s office downtown. The gathering sparked plenty of attention from onlookers and forced an increased San Diego Police Department presence.
Students from the private University of San Diego, Lincoln High School and Monarch School were also present at the march.
“This is just the beginning of a far reaching and diverse mobilization effort and there is no question that the connections made today will solidify the power of this movement,” said City College political science professor Larissa Dorman, whose students held another rally at the Governor’s office in January.
Holding posters, banging drums and screaming in air horns, the protesters chanted various phrases including “Real pain; real action” and “Cut that; fight back.”
Monarch student D’Angelo Burton, 14 years old, participated in the march. He said the budget cuts have affected him despite the fact that he has four years until college.
“I don’t know which college I want to go to yet, but I do know that the budget cuts could hurt my chances and I want to have choices,” he said.
Students began protesting heavily last year after campuses saw a series of million-dollar cuts which forced administrators to raise tuition and fees and cut classes and teachers.
In previous statements, Schwarzenegger’s office said he understood the frustration felt among students but that the state can “only spend what it has.”
Hoa Quach is the political editor for the San Diego News Network.