Student Protests Continue Around the Country

Published on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 by Ryan Collins Category: College News Community Colleges

College Student Protests

San Francisco, CA (CollegetoCareers.com) - Across the country, students have taken to storming their state capitols in protest of cuts to higher education that have been sweeping the nation.

From California to Michigan, students are demanding their state legislatures to not cut money from higher education.

On Monday, thousands of students, faculty members and other university staff members in California began protesting in the rain in Sacramento and demanded more money to be spent on higher education. California legislatures are currently proposing a 2011 fiscal year budget that would cut $1.4 billion to education.

California community colleges are expecting a $400 million cut, while the University of California and California State University schools will see as much as $500 million cut from their budgets.

The Associated Student Organization (ASO) organized additional Californian protests in Los Angeles, which saw hundreds of students attend. During the student rally, students chanted familiar refrains about budget cuts as they marched through Victory Boulevard and protested budget cuts for the Los Angeles community college district.

The Roundup News said students held signs for passing cars to see that argued that people should fight for their right to study and that guns are more accessible than scholarships. While most students were confident in their protest, some were a little pessimistic about the situation.

“It’s a good way to get out there and spread awareness, but do I think it’ll do anything? No. It’s not going to fix the budget cuts,” Andrew Kitchen said to The Roundup News.

University of Michigan students also rallied against budget cuts in Michigan. Students took to Detroit to also protest against having Gov. Rick Snyder speak at the university as their commencement speaker.

Students at the rally said that Facebook campaigns and an online petition have been created to protest Snyder’s budget cuts and try and stop him from coming the commencement speaker for this May’s graduating class.

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