Sayed Balkhi – Roundup Photographer, Danny Duarte – Roundup Photographer
Students and faculty walked out of classes from the University of California system Thursday.
The event was intended to protest budget cuts and fee increases which have taken place during the year.UCLA students walked out of their classes at noon and met around Bruin Plaza to hand out fliers to inform incoming students.
Certain classes were canceled and other teachers used the time to inform their students about the cuts.”We are gathered here to let the public understand that we are getting taken advantage of.
As students, our right for education is being taken away and we are not going to allow that!” said Maria Ponce, UCLA political sci-ence major.UCLA faculty have received cuts of 4 to 10 percent cuts and have been forced to take furlough days.The cost of a college education has risen thousands of dollars for students.Students will be paying even more next year.
Budget cuts have also made it hard for minority students because it has gotten rid of resources that were useful for students.
UCLA had approximately more than 500 students and staff attend the event — a small amount compared to the amount of students who attend the University — but students and staff got their point across.At U.C. Berkeley, approximately 5,000 students marched for student rights and boycotted their classes.
“There is no way America is going to get educated if the fees increase. We need to fight back,” said Aaron Ruval-caba, Berkeley undergraduate.
