Thousands protest fee hikes on Quad

Written by MELISSA FREEMAN
Opinion Editor
Published on November 16, 2011
Filed under Campus News, Front page story

On Tuesday, a strike approved by the UC Davis Faculty Association took place on the Quad, bringing almost 2,000 students, workers and faculty together for our campus’ largest protest in recent years.

The protest consisted of speeches by faculty, graduate students and undergraduates, followed by a march around campus leading to an occupation of Mrak Hall.

Sarah Lauro, a lecturer for the English department, kicked off the demonstration, explaining the reasons for gathering to be tuition increases, incidents of police violence at UC Berkeley last week and the link of both these concerns with the privatization of UC.

“We can no longer stand idly by watching the crumbling edifice of the UC system,” Lauro said.

The protest was in large part a reaction to the police brutality that occurred at UC Berkeley last Wednesday, when campus police began to strike students and faculty with batons after they refused to disperse from their on-campus encampment.

Tuesday’s actions were meant to lead up to a bigger protest at a UC Board of Regents meeting, meant to take place today in San Francisco, but was cancelled amid fears of violence and vandalism.

Students and faculty, however, will converge with universities across the state in San Francisco today. Buses will be leaving from the Mondavi Center at 9:30 a.m. to provide free transportation for those wishing to attend.

— Text by Melissa Freeman