Photos: Students of all ages protest UC fee hikes and discrimination

On Thursday, students from every UC and many local schools converged at UC Berkeley to fight for the right to an education. The UC Regents had voted Wednesday to raise student fees yet again (the Regents have raised fees 72% for undergrads in the past 3 years), while simultaneously giving lucrative pay raises to top administrators. Students won a victory Wednesday by saving some degree of financial aid (the Regents had wanted to cut even more than Congress just did with the largest cuts to fin. aid. in history), but were very upset about the unnecessary new fees (the Regents refused to wait for the Assembly to see what level of funding they would receive). Many students spoke of having to find second or third jobs to add on to their already full schedule.

The University of California Student Association (UCSA), the official government of UC students, held a spirited rally that included a phone blitz and letter writing to legislative offices, amongst the usual chants and speeches. A couple supportive Regents came out to speak, but many students expressed dismay at the ignorance of many Regents to student concerns. Some students who spoke to the Regents for probably the only time in their life came out frusterated, saying that the Regents didn't even pay attention.

That's if they got into the building at all - there was a very strong police presence. This begs us to ask the question: If the UC Regents that are supposed to govern the university regularily meet at a campus with no undergrads (UCSF), ban students from attendance (occured Wednesday), and place tight strict regulations on student input, what are their real interests? Their management of Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos (produce nukes)? Corporate-supported 'research'? $400,000/yr. salaries for top UC buddies? Because it doesn't appear that educating the state of california remains of prime concern.

While much of the focus of actions on both Wednesday and Thursday was on the fee hikes or the cut in financial aid, hundreds of middle and high school students arrived from all over the bay area to add a couple more issues to the table: Affirmative Action, UC Berkeley's threatened removal of students that survived Hurricane Katrina, and the racist and sexist comments of an undergraduate adviser against a student.

Below are photos from Thursday's actions.