Most of today’s protests have wound down, or seem likely to in the near future, and the day is coming into clearer focus.
There have been clashes with police. Most notable was the takeover of a freeway in Oakland which ended, one officer estimated, in 150 arrests. One student was injured in that incident, though reports differ as to the severity of his injuries. Students were also arrested or detained in New York, in Michigan, and elsewhere, though rarely in large numbers.
Oakland was not the only place where students took to the streets. One college — UC Santa Cruz — was closed for much of the day after demonstrators blocked both roads onto campus to vehicular traffic. Many other marches spilled off sidewalks onto intersections, even highways, leading a blogger for the Berkeley student newspaper to declare that “freeways are the new buildings when it comes to occupying stuff.”
There weren’t many of those more traditional occupations. Students at UCLA sat in at their chancellor’s office for most of the day, but left peacefully not long ago. At UC Irvine and New York’s Hunter College, students tried and failed to find a space they could take and hold. At the State University of New York at Purchase an occupation was going on this afternoon, but no reports have been heard from it in hours.
At UC San Diego, wracked by racial traumas for weeks, administrators and representatives of the Black Student Union negotiated an agreement that resolved many of the issues that had divided them in the recent past. But UCSD was an exception — today’s protesters rarely articulated immediate demands, and administrators rarely engaged with them. Today was more about activists talking to each other, working with each other, than it was about talking to or working with — or working to overthrow — university power structures.
That part comes later. That part starts March 5.
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March 4, 2010 at 11:54 pm
National Youth Rights Association - Age of Reason: the NYRA Blog
[…] the Student Activism wrap up of the day’s […]
March 4, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Mark
This was the biggest news story of the day. We need to keep the heat on. Last year at the University of Vermont we had our own budget slashing episode and responded with petitioning, tabling, teach-ins, speak-outs, a MASSIVE walk-out and finally a couple occupations with 34 arrests. We thought it was the spark of a huge movement but sure enough a couple days later the energy fizzled and this year we are facing more but less drastic cutbacks and “academic restructuring” (i.e. making research more attractive to corporate funding.)
Direct Action and constant communication are sooo important now. Also we cant let the right frame us as a bunch of Obama-ites. We need to remind the world that we are above and beyond neoliberal reformism and ready to take the struggle all the way. Internationalism is key as our Comrades in Europe have been occupying like mad for the last year.
And I think getting networked with the anticapitalist climate justice movement would add a real sense of urgency to activists ideas of “appropriate tactics.”
Solidarity guys, Fucking so much SOLIDARITY!
March 5, 2010 at 12:18 am
agentorangefai
Hey Angus. I link to you in part one of my March 4 report back.
http://illicitpopsiclecollective.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/another-world-is-possible-a-tweet-back-from-march-4-part-1/
Today was… whoo. Thanks for tweeting today.
March 5, 2010 at 2:43 am
budasigns
Here’s a friendly suggestion. Instead of spending your time protesting, use that time to earn money, produce an income and be a producer in society. That will cut down on the amount of money you have to borrow, which will help lower government debt, which will get your state closer to a place where they can lower the cost of tutition.
The problem is states like California are out of money. Add it up. Cuts have to be made across the board. Try starting your own school or business’ when you’re in deep debt, you have to make hard decisions. Otherwise the entire state will completely run out of money.
Then you can complain, not that tuition it too high, but that you have to move to a thriving state like Texas to go to college, because all the California colleges have closed down because the state is bankrupt.
So what’s it going to be, a little change in your lifestyle now, or a drastic one later. Welcome to the real world.
March 5, 2010 at 3:23 am
Carly
budasigns, the problem with your suggestion lies within its logic. i know plenty of students who work AND protest for affordable education. go figure. and because of their two jobs and schedule as a full time student, their academic performance ultimately suffers. there is only so much a student can physically do. the fact that states like california are lacking money is not at the fault of their current students. starting your own school would be great, except for the fact that a brand new school lacks the credibility, scholarship, and high caliber of, say uc berkeley. these students make the hardest decision of their life when they actively put themselves in huge debt to attain a degree that will HOPEFULLY reward them (myself included) with a high-paying job to therefore pay off the aforementioned debt.
the general idea is that this is all a vicious cycle that must be stopped in order to sustain the value of higher education. maybe if higher education was affordable for all young people willing to attend and pay, our economic situation would be revitalized by the new companies and trades created by these educated individuals when they graduate. if they can afford to graduate, that is.
March 5, 2010 at 3:45 am
Evening Wrap-up from Student Activism « UC Regent Live(blog)
[…] March 4 Evening Wrapup […]
March 5, 2010 at 3:47 am
umdmarch4
Let’s not forget the 27 (at least) people who were arrested in the very first hours of March Forth at the police riot in College Park.
love and rage to all y’all
March 5, 2010 at 5:17 am
Mark
Budasigns,
We understand your argument. But we reject it. What you just outlined was why a lot of us seek to dismantle corporate capitalism in the first place. When the university degenerates into am industry pumping out corporate work drones trained to perpetuate a violent, coercive, unjust and ecologically unsustainable system it becomes time to dismantle it and start anew.
Contrary to what you would like to believe it wasn’t “liberal spending” that brought college finances to such a state of crisis. As the states and federal gov’t CUT funding to higher education (thankyou RayGun et al) universities were forced to pull more revenue from endowments and corporate benefactors. Needless to say, most university endowments lost a substantial amount of their value and the tight credit market/lack of revenue prevented new finances from flowing in. Thus we have our current crisis.
But now WE are the crisis and we will fashion it to our liking.
March 5, 2010 at 6:35 am
jessica
UW students interrupt a state senate legislative meeting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ojNkOPkftw
March 5, 2010 at 7:36 am
occupyeverything
videos from nyc:
March 5, 2010 at 7:37 am
occupyeverything
from nyc:
March 5, 2010 at 8:02 am
De KSU ‘Keek op de Week’: de week van de actie! « Kritische Studenten Utrecht | 2010
[…] Seattle is ook de straat op gegaan met honderden actievoerende studenten. En dan hier nog een goede samenvatting van de dag. Poeh he, wat was die […]
March 5, 2010 at 10:32 am
occupyeverything
one more video from nyc:
March 5, 2010 at 10:33 am
occupyeverything
sleep is for the weak
March 5, 2010 at 4:46 pm
James Logan
You seem to be the most aggressive poster I’ve read today, and because you have the ‘fire in the belly’ I’ll talk to you(not sure if my other post made it) by addressing your post:
“This was the biggest news story of the day. We need to keep the heat on. Last year at the University of Vermont we had our own budget slashing episode and responded with petitioning, tabling, teach-ins, speak-outs, a MASSIVE walk-out and finally a couple occupations with 34 arrests. We thought it was the spark of a huge movement but sure enough a couple days later the energy fizzled and this year we are facing more but less drastic cutbacks and “academic restructuring” (i.e. making research more attractive to corporate funding.)”
Further proof that what I’m talking about is right: The decision has been made…what you weren’t paying attention to, perhaps, was where it was made. It wasn’t made at the school, it was made in the state government, in so far as budgets were concerned. Petitioning the school only goes so far. You need to channel that energy.
“Direct Action and constant communication are sooo important now.”
Direct Action? Why? For instance, I take that as a military term…so yo smash a window…AND? Besides get you arrested what did it do? ‘we are facing more, but less drastic cutbacks and academic restructuring. In other words, all that happened was, the school minimized the appearance of the upheaval, but didn’t stop it. Why? Because they must continue the actions, its out of their hands…why? Because funding was cut. The constant communication you need is:
1) Constant with the school execs…you’ve got that.
2) Constant coms with other students…you’ve certainly got that.
3) Constant comms with your elected representatives…by the looks of things, this is where you have not shown any strength at all. November elections are coming up, and local/municipal elections are probably going on right now. THIS IS WHERE YOU NEED TO FOCUS. Think you could compel an elected official if the 100’s of 1000’s of you wrote to an incumbent or, contributed even $2 to an opponents campaign?
Constant communication IS very important…but if your constantly communicating your GPS position, that only helps you evade jail…not prevail in the fiscal minds. Why? Because the decision HAS BEEN MADE.
“Also we cant let the right frame us as a bunch of Obama-ites. We need to remind the world that we are above and beyond neoliberal reformism and ready to take the struggle all the way. Internationalism is key as our Comrades in Europe have been occupying like mad for the last year.”
What? Neoliberal reformism? Liberals were put into power to REVERSE the conservative damaging trend…yet, conservatives, knowing full well you lack the political sophistication, have tricked you into thinking its bad to be an Obama-ite. Its not about being an ‘Obama-ite’, its about change; forget all that b/s…the change you seek still, no matter how much you like/dislike Obama, CANNOT BE AFFECTED ANYWHERE BUT IN THE LEGISLATURE. THAT IS WHY NOTHING STOPPED IN YOUR VERMONT EXAMPLE. The cuts were just shuffled, AND STILL WENT THROUGH.
“And I think getting networked with the anticapitalist climate justice movement would add a real sense of urgency to activists ideas of “appropriate tactics.””
This is where you take it to the militaristic WAY TOO EARLY. Capitalism is not the issue. Its YOUR PARTICIPATION IN YOUR GOVERNMENT. Not one time did you mention voting. Not once. Yet you know Republicans have been gutting the system. The answer is right in front of your nose…you want to pick up a bat, when you should pick up a pen. That’s ok. Pick up that bat. You’re only seeking short term resolution to your anger. When you get that out of your system, the pen will still be there, waiting for you to pick it up. The pen being a metaphor for your vote, in this instance. And don’t give me that malarkey about ‘I have voted’. Maybe for Obama you have, but, since then you haven’t. Take a look at NJ…Republicans claim thats a ‘real’ win. Of course, they don’t tell you that it was on the LOWEST VOTER TURN OUT IN THE STATES 226 YEAR HISTORY. What does that mean? Well, if you have a million residents, and 5 show up to vote…guess what? Those 5 just decided the direction of the state…while the rest didn’t bother. You like a political minority ruling your life? Apparently not. But, before you start blaming capitalism, you need to use the system you have, and push others to use it. First things first…the wheel actually has to TURN before a revolution can be counted.
“Solidarity guys, Fucking so much SOLIDARITY!”
I think you’re confusing group anger with solidarity. Republicans and neo-conservatives have solidarity:
They vote against your priorities.
They shame you out of participation.
Calling you an Obama-ite is insulting, but you won’t vote. Somehow,
they got you to vote against your own interest…by getting you not to
vote…Brilliant!
They post comments wrongly assigning blame on you the student…when they, the greedy cause the situation.
Do not be fooled, this is only solidarity, if it can translate into votes.
When you stop traffic, and block schools, so that students would rather go vote than deal with traffic, THEN you will have done something.
Sorry if I’m harsh, but it needed to be said….You have the fire, use it well.
March 5, 2010 at 5:41 pm
More reports from March 4th actions: San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland …
[…] By Student Activism / March 4, 2010 […]
March 5, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Frank Gormlie
budasigns – from a UCSD alumnus – Class of 70 – that is so much bullshit. We need students to be active politically right now. Who else is going to carry the ball – my generation in our 60s? You prove your mettle by protesting while you’re young. You must challenge the limits that society is placing upon you and your generation. Don’t accept those limits – push them out as far as you can while you still can. Question authority – build solidarity, fight racism – come up with a vision of a better society – then go make it happen!
March 5, 2010 at 9:37 pm
kaitlyn
Hey
I dont know if you heard but the occupation @ SUNY Purchase was an open occupation that lasted until this morning when they sat down with people to negotiate.
March 6, 2010 at 1:27 am
UCSC (Grad) Student Organizing Committee
[…] around the web: Socialist Worker’s Day of Action Journal, an aggregated page from Occupy CA, and a wrapup from Angus Johnston’s Student Activism blog (the last is fairly rudimentary, but I imagine Johnston will post a more detailed wrapup and […]
March 6, 2010 at 7:00 am
Fortuna Faveat | March 4: two campuses, two experiences
[…] When confronted with these two divergent experiences within the same University system, it is important to remember that March 4 wasn’t just about these two campuses. It was a nationwide Day of Action. There have been clashes with police. Most notable was the takeover of a freeway in Oakland which ended, one officer estimated, in 150 arrests. One student was injured in that incident, though reports differ as to the severity of his injuries. Students were also arrested or detained in New York, in Michigan, and elsewhere, though rarely in large numbers…[but] today’s protesters rarely articulated immediate demands, and administrators rarely engaged with them. Today was more about activists talking to each other, working with each other, than it was about talking to or working with — or working to overthrow — university power structures. That part comes later. That part starts March 5.Angus Johnston Historian, Blogger […]