Protest today at CSULB

Students Fight Back organization held a protest against budget cuts and tuition increases today at CSULB that included around 30 students. A small number compared to the 2,000 students and faculty that participated in the walkout at UC Berkeley last Thursday.

The protesters could be seen carrying signs that said, "Education is a right! Reverse cuts/hikes," and various other slogans that could also be heard while they shouted. In a peaceful, but militant way, the protesters marched through the student union where they overcame the police force trying to stop them. Then they marched to the fountain in front of Brotman Hall. When the protesters tried to walk through Brotman Hall they were finally stopped by a force of police officers. According to one participant, there were almost as many officers as there were protesters.

"I think it was definitely a success," said Jessika Bardales, art major, who is one of the three main organizers of Students Fight Back.

Another participant in today's demonstration was Nicholas Digs, an Independent Congressional Candidate. He graduated from CSULB in 1991 and has been teaching in the Long Beach Unified School District for 15 years. "The budget cuts are affecting the future of our nation," said Digs. "We can balance the budget without raising taxes, but can only do that by ending the wars."

Students Fight Back started a week before the new semester, and is trying to recruit more people. They have a mailing list in which they send out e-mails and fliers to those who sign up, and can also be found on facebook.

"We are going to keep moving and making it larger and larger every time," said Doug Kauffman, English major, who is also a leader of the organization.

Students and faculty mourn the death of education

There was a mock funeral Wednesday in downtown Long Beach where over 100 student, faculty and community members showed up to protest budget cuts for universities in California. The funeral included pallbearers, a coffin, bagpipes, and 50 tombstones. The protest was held outside of the Chancellor Charles Reed's office.

A very large number of students were not admitted into the CSU system this fall semester, therefore each of the 50 tombstones represented 1,000 people who weren't accepted. The tombstones decorated the lawn, while faculty members and students gave eulogies and speeches expressing the magnitude of tribulations that have arose due to the cutbacks.

"The 2009-10 CSU system wide budget was cut by $564 million compared to the previous year," wrote Tim Lynch of the Daily 49er. "There were also some solutions offered. One was Assembly Bill 656, which would increase taxes to oil companies so the CSU system could receive some of the revenue generated."

The mock funeral was not the first, or the last of protests that CSU students, faculty, and community members will participate in. The day after the protest in front of the Chancellors' office, thousands of students and faculty members walked out of classes at UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Berkley and other schools. Tues. 29, there is another protest held at CSULB and other campuses such as, UCLA and Cal State Fullerton.