UC Berkeley fee hike protest: Not Egypt but expanding; thoughts on framing

Students at UC Berkeley occupied Wheeler Hall to protest fee hikes and education cuts on Wednesday, March 2, resulting in 17 arrests when some of the group refused to leave the building at the 10 pm closing deadline imposed by police. The protest was relatively small but spirited. 14 of those arrested were cited and released; 3 are being held at St. Rita Jail and will be arraigned at 2 pm Friday at the Oakland Court House.

Today, March 3, the number of protesters grew several fold after 9 students locked down on a ledge 40 feet up the side of the building in the early afternoon. (One of the 9 was arrested and reportedly was being held on $2500 bail -- students were raising money to bail this individual out.) As of 8:30 pm, a large group of people were standing in the plaza in front of Wheeler Hall listening to speeches and chanting. Two dozen riot cops were occupying part of the steps leading to the hall standing behind metal barricades. Students still held a portion of the steps.

Given the dramatic events over the last few weeks in North Africa, the Middle East and Wisconsin, there is a feeling of possibility in the air, even though the few hundred students protesting represent just a tiny fraction of the 30,000 UC Berkeley student body.

I feel like our defensive stand in the USA -- try to just preserve existing union rights or fighting fee hikes and education funding cuts -- is putting us in a rhetorically and political weak position that limits outcomes.

There is an economic and class struggle going on and many efforts are missing the most important half of the picture. It would be helpful to focus on why the government is broke in the first place and if it is so broke, how come it an afford huge tax cuts to the richest people?

Or even more fundamental and moving behind struggles over government policy, how have the richest 1% of the population managed to massively increase their wealth and power in just a generation with almost no social push-back as most people's lives have become dramatically harder and less secure?

Someone at the protest told me "there isn't a class struggle until we start struggling." Well said.