CSULB students and staff erupted in protest and marched on campus against the looming 2011 budget cuts yesterday afternoon.
The protest began near CSULB's bell tower with guest speakers, including the president of the Teachers Association of Long Beach, initiating the rally. The protest, as reported by the Daily 49er,drew around 500-600 people.
"This is your civil rights movement," said Teri Yamada, the president of CSULB's chapter of California faculty Association. "This is your moment."
A wave of applause roared through the crowd and protests signs found themselves raised in the air as Yamada spoke these words.
Though it is the CSU system that faces a potential $1 billion budget cut, Ted Stolze, a philospophy teacher at Cerritos College, said the cuts do not only affect students at univiersities.
"Those who call the shots want community college students to pay for a problem they didn't (start)," said Stolze. California's public colleges may increase their tuition and "up to 400,000 students may not be able to register."
While CSULB may face a $32 million cut, losing 535 jobs and 5,600 coursesThe Press Telegramreported some people "even demanded the resignation of CSU Chancellor Charles Reed, whom they noted earns an annual salary of more than $421,500 a year."
Duan Jackson, the chief steward of Academic Professionals of California at CSULB, said even though it is difficult to continue to support students without help, it is their duty to support students. "We're not asking for a hand out, (but an investment)."
When the speakers finished, those in the crowd were urged to continue the protest by toward Brotman Hall. The protesters chanted slogans such as "they say cut backs, we say fight back" as the crowd marched through the school.
"This is the only way we can do it: voting and protesting," finance major Pablo Moran said about the rally. "(The budget cuts ) hitting state wide and it's going to hurt us."
The following video, found from the Daily 49er's youtube page, showcases the protest:
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