March 2 Day of Action for Education in Riverside

by Rockero Saturday, Mar. 12, 2011 at 1:29 PM
rockero420@yahoo.com

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

RIVERSIDE, California - Students from the Inland Empire's main universities and community colleges held rallies at their respective campuses in the morning before converging in Riverside's civic center for a demonstration with speakers and music. Demands included an end to tuition hikes and schools cuts, an end to social services cuts, and the passage of the DREAM Act.

By the time of the downtown convergence, the number of participants had dwindled to about 50 or 60, a far cry from the multitude of participants at last year's March 4 Day of Action for Public Education. "Maybe everyone who was here last year, the people who really cared because it impacted them directly, got priced out of education this year," speculated one marcher.

Nonetheless, students from UCR, Riverside Community College, San Bernardino Valley College, Mt. San Antonio College, Cal Poly Pomona, and their supporter gave passionate speeches in support of their cause.

At one point, an angry woman approached the crowd and demanded that the sound be cut off, despite the organizers having filed for the appropriate permits. She wore no uniform, produced no identification, and made no claim to any authority to shut down the rally other than claiming to work for the City of Riverside.

Student organizers adeptly handled the attempted repression by using a rotating grab-bag of tactics, including strategic ignoring, engaging her, sending her to talk to different people, and pretending to comply. It was genius.

Take a look at some of the action and at what the speakers said:

March 2 Day of Action for Education Riverside - 1

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March 2 Day of Action for Education Riverside - 9
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