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Indybay Feature

Chanting in Capitol Rotunda Against Budget Cuts to Education (2:12)

by Jonathan Nack
Protesters chanting in the Rotunda of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, CA, on Monday, May 9, 2011.
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Chanting in Capitol Rotunda Against Budget Cuts to Education (2:12)

2 min., 12 sec. video

Videographer & Editor: Jonathan Nack 2011

Protesters chanting in the Rotunda of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, CA, on Monday, May 9, 2011. Students took the lead the way and two hundred joined in, including teachers and community leaders. Students had come from up and down the state, including a large contingent from U. C. Santa Cruz.

The Chanting occurred as part of a week of protests against proposed budget cuts to education [ http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5632/calif._unions_step_up_opposition_to_public_education_gutting/ ]

Following the chanting, 65 protesters committed nonviolent civil disobedience by sitting down and refusing to leave the Rotunda after the Capitol closed to the public for the day. [ http://educationclearinghouse.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/65-arrested-in-teachers-protest-in-sacramento/ ]

The arrested protesters were held overnight, and were kept with their hands handcuffed behind their backs for the first six hours. This despite the fact that only three of those arrested were charged with resisting arrest, while the rest were charged only with misdemeanor trespass. [ http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-news-day2cappro,0,7616253.story ]

(Use of this video by for profit publications without express permission is prohibited)
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by p. petit
I hope someday soon the left in california will adopt different tactics. In order to truly change circumstances, we must do more than simply walk into the capital, chanting, singing and dancing. The politicians and their capitalist cronies love that because its not a threat. They laugh and think that the protestors are absurd (which is not far off). If we want to change what happens at the capital, we must not "fight back" (ie: be on the defensive). We must go on the offensive.
by Soldarity with those who fight
I agree with P. Petit but the main problem isn't really the tactics but the lack of willinginess of most workers , teachers and others, to fight back . Look for example at the Sacramento '' Week of Action''. No rally had more than a 1000 participants and most of them were from the Bay area. There are approx. 2 million in the Sac Metro area . So i would guess that means at least 20, 000 Teachers . But where were they ? It's bad enough that the situation isn't apparently dire enough to warrant a even a one day walkout but they didn't come in any noticable numbers even after school .
Yes of course the Teachers Union's (mis ) leadership deserves most of the blame but why didn't the rank and file demand action ?
I'm 100% for Soldarity but not subsituting myself for those directly impacted. We're not pro-bono ''lawyers'' for those under attack . We should stand alongside those underfire but they first have to fight themselves.
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