Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

Students, faculty members, teachers, parents and other supporters took to California campuses and streets last Thursday to protest fee increases and funding cuts.

Countywide demonstrations culminated in a march from Balboa Park to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office downtown. Students and supporters wedged between two intersections on Front Street carrying dozens of banners, flags, signs and even a large skeleton with movable arms that read “Cuts kill.” Police escorted an estimated 1,200 protesters down the blocked off street as they chanted “Whose schools? Our schools!” Noisemakers, drums, cow bells and shouts of “Shame on you!” grew louder once the crowd reached the governor’s office.

A number of speakers addressed the energized crowd at the rallies.

Among the speakers were representatives from UC San Diego’s Black Student Union. The crowd cheered even louder to offer support to the group because of the recent racial tensions at UCSD. But no differences divided the crowd. With fists raised in solidarity, protesters young and old cheered the speakers and booed the government in unison.

Adam Osorio, who is a Chicana and Chicano studies graduate student and a member of Frente Universitario en Lucha at San Diego State, addressed the crowd at the rally in Balboa Park.

“I know that education isn’t just an individual thing; it’s for the whole society,” Osorio said after the rally.

Osorio also said he is worried that his brother, who is in high school, won’t have the same opportunities he had.

“Without an education, we’re really not set up for very much in this society,” he said.

The event was part of a statewide “Day of Action to Defend Public Education” that included classroom walk outs, teach-ins and other demonstrations to support public education. Earlier that day, several hundred SDSU students and supporters staged a protest on campus.

Students, faculty and staff walked out at 11:30 a.m. and marched from the Arts and Letters building around campus to Aztec Center. Protesters held signs and chanted for education and against cuts. One student held a cardboard scrap with the message “WTF I can’t even afford a poster.”

Art and liberal studies senior Julie Otto participated in the march. Otto said she was not able to enroll this semester because she could not afford tuition and fees.

“These budget cuts are really affecting me financially,” Otto, who hopes to be back next fall, said. “That’s why I’m not able to attend this semester, because I pay out of pocket. I’m here to support the school, support all these students and support what’s going to happen to us in the fall.”

Criminal justice junior Hans Clements also participated in the march.

“Budget cuts and furloughs have just taken such a toll on education,” he said. “It’s horrible. The quality of education has gone down so much since I started. I can definitely tell the difference and it’s definitely not what I thought I would get when I signed up for college.”

Philosophy professor Thomas Weston said he believed last semester’s demonstrations made an impact, but the March 4 event had a much different atmosphere.

“This is a much bigger scale than those little one-campus demonstrations that we’ve had so far,” Weston, who has worked at SDSU for about 35 years, said.

High school junior Priscilla Diaz kicked off the rally with an emotionally charged speech.

“I feel neglected as a local student by my local university, by limiting and technically forbidding me from attaining my right to educate myself,” she said as her voice wavered.

“And now, SDSU has shut its doors and turned its back on me 8212; the straight A-student that lives just barely two miles away.”

As she fought back tears, the crowd offered her support and chanted “You can do it!” and “Sí, se puede!”

Chicana and Chicano studies professor Isidro Ortiz asked the audience to join hands when he addressed the crowd.

“(You’re) challenging the stereotype of your generation that’s … young people who are indifferent, apathetic and self-centered,” he said. “I don’t see that here today.”

Ortiz added that many faculty members support the students.

Emanuele Saccarelli, a political science professor and adviser for the International Students for Social Equality, addressed the crowd as a “captive member” of the Campus Faculty Association, which held a “Vent at the Tent” in Aztec Center to record video testimonials.

“If you think that things will be solved by appealing to Sacramento by those means, by venting at the tent, you are sadly mistaken,” he said as he gestured to CFA’s tent. “We are not here to vent at the tent! The power, the solution, the fix to the problems of education in California and internationally is here; it is not there.”

After the rally, San Diego Chapter CFA President Charles Toombs insisted that all messages are important and encouraged others to record a message.

After the on-campus rally, March 4th Committee member Crystal Sudano said she was happy with the turnout, but not “thrilled.” Sudano wished that more instructors actively participated in the walk out.

“I feel like there was a lot of people who let their students go, (but) they didn’t walk out with them and bring them here.”

Caitlin Seandel, another member of the March 4th Committee, agreed.

“I am pleased with the turnout,” she said. “Obviously, I would like to see all of the students and professors walk out with us in solidarity, because in my belief that’s the only way things will get changed very rapidly.”

Protest organizers are hoping for an even bigger turnout for the next event, which is tentatively scheduled for May 1.

“We’re all fighting for the same thing, the more people the better,” March 4th Committee and Revolution 102 member Debora Santos said. “If I’m another person that can get the message out there then I’ll do what I can.”