Attention Student Leaders

Everyone involved with the writing of the Demands, please comment here with your full name for the sake of recording all facts.

"Project Mosaic"

Please feel free to document your experiences on March 4th, 2010 "A Day of Action" and March 5, 2010 "The Press Conference". Tell your side of the story, share your point of view, and vent your frustrations.

This particular blog will serve as a way to document the events of the day from beginning to end.

Share pictures, audio or film if you have it.

Please be respectful when commenting. This is not a space to put down others. We are in this together.

Solidarity and Unity for Quality Education.

Peace

Official statement released by California State University Northridge students regarding the March 4th 2010 student protest:

As of Friday, March 5th, 2010 12:08pm

We, the students of California State University Northridge & higher education throughout the state of California:

Demand an immediate apology and rectification from all media outlets who reported the March 4th Walkout and protest as “unruly”, “not peaceful”, “violent”, and who used problematic language in reporting the actions of all participating students during the events of the day.

Demand JUSTICE for Karren Baird-Olson, 73 year old, Associate Professor of Sociology and American Indian Studies, Coordinator, American Indian Studies Program, and Professor of Criminology at CSUN who was brutally attacked by LAPD Police on March 4, 2010, and suffered a broken arm and multiple injures. We are demanding that no charges be placed against her and that all of her medical fees be paid, immediately, along with an apology from the police officers that brutalized her

Demand JUSTICE for all CSUN students arrested during the rally, who were brutalized and apprehended with the use of excessive and unnecessary force by the LAPD.

Demand No citations or charges against the students arrested at the CSUN student Rally (Prairie/Reseda) on March 4th.

Demand that California State University Northridge respect the civil rights and actions of all students who participated in the protest by not taking any further action against them in the forms of expulsion or suspension, seeing as their conduct and behavior was not only peaceful, but an exemplary model of leadership, liberation, and student activism, and a clear model of the forward thinkers and leaders this University strives to produce.

Demand CSU Northridge to provide funding and transportation to the “March in March” student rally on March 22, 2010, at the State Capital (West Steps), Sacramento, as well as all other events and demonstrations regarding the budget cuts.

Demand a public forum with the CSU Northridge Administration, including President Jolene Koester, and Associated Student Body President Abel Pacheco for our grievances to be addressed and actions be taken in response.

We assert that free education is a RIGHT for ALL people

ULTIMATE DEMANDS:

1. NO MORE BUDGET CUTS – NO MORE CUT CLASSES/ UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS/ FURLOUGH Days/LAYOFFS of part-time, full time, faculty staff and administrators.

2. NO MORE FEE INCREASES – STOP TAXING STUDENTS/STOP TUITION INCREASES

3. RESTORE CATEGORICAL FUNDING – PROTECT EOP&S/DSPS/CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION/MATRICULATION PROGRAMS

4. Allocate money to ensure there is proper and efficient funding for interpreters to be present in every classroom, and at every event where one is requested and needed to assist students in the Deaf community.

We are making these demands PEACEFULLY, in defense of our education. It is our desire to have an OPEN, PUBLIC, and collective dialogue where our needs are met with the administration of this university. The peaceful protest of March 4th was not a student vs. police action, nor was it composed of a group of unruly troublemakers, misfits, or social deviants. We stand here as representatives of our student body at large to inform the world that last night’s protest was an outcry for help to rectify the Draconian budget cuts implemented by the state of CA legislators that have denied students of all levels from obtaining a fair, equal, and adequate public education. We have exhausted the venues available to us to contact our representatives to express our concerns and extreme discontent about the misappropriation of funds that have led to the economic crisis our state now faces. Because all traditional methods used have been to no avail, our actions are a direct result of the legislative decisions made by CA legislators, district representatives, and the governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger against California’s institutions of education. We are in solidarity with all those who have been arrested or pressed for standing up for their right to free education.

March 5, 2010 - Aftermath of "Day of Action"

At 10am, Students of Black Student Union (BSU), MeCha, Central American United Student Association (CAUSA), and others gathered in front of the Oviatt Library at California State University, Northridge to continue what was left undone the eve before.

At 2pm, These same students led a press conference to address the horrible behavior of the Los Angeles Police Department and state their list of Demands.

Both events were successful. The CSUN campus and the state, for that matter, have been put on notice. The demands were clear and the student body of CSUN will continue to fight for their right to a quality and affordable education.

Those demands will be posted here soon for all to read.

From the Daily Sundail @ CSUN By Victoria Hernandez

Christina Villalobos, Special Assistant to the Chief of Police & Public Information Officer said Reseda Boulevard was blocked off because the protesters moved back into the area to rally, during Thursday’s walkouts.

5:36 p.m. On the intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Prairie Street students are having a sit in while they chant “Student. Power.” and “We won’t go. Hell no!”

Students need to reclaim their voice, said Lilia Tejeda, 20, psychology major.

“[Tuition increase of] 10 percent, 30 percent, 32 percent? That is not right. What’s going to happen next year?” said Tejeda.

5:58 p.m. Police and protesters telling people to get off the intersection and onto the sidewalk. Protesters chanting, “Everywhere we go, everywhere we go, people want to know, people want to know, who we are, who we are, so we tell them, so we tell them, we are the students, we are the students, the mighty mighty students,” (song from the movie “Remember the Titans”).

6:05 p.m. Slowly the protesters leave the street. The SWAT team arrives. When protesters see the SWAT team they come back to rallying on the street.

6:08 p.m. SWAT intervenes by telling protesters to get off the street.

Amber Tondreau, 25, music education major said that the march is a good thing and that so far the rally has been peaceful.

6:11 p.m. “No more budget cuts,” protesters chant.

6:13 p.m. Protesters start heading back to CSUN. Captain Alfredo Fernandez from the CSUN police department announces to the crowd they have 10 minutes to disperse from the area. When protesters hear the message they come back to rally.

“We have a right to pass! We pay taxes,” said Nancy Menjivar, 24, graduating senior double majoring in psychology and Central America studies.

6:19 p.m. “Hey hey ho ho, budget cuts have got to go,” protesters chant. Some are on the intersection (Reseda Boulevard and Prairie Street) telling others to do a sit down.

6:20 p.m. People shout to go back to campus.

6:24 p.m. Protesters are still on the street. Some stand and others are doing the sit down. SWAT and police stand all around the intersection to make sure people do not get across. The street is blocked for cars and passing pedestrians.

6:29 p.m. Crowd tries to break through the line of where the SWAT and police are standing. They shove back. People shout “Police brutality.”

6:31 p.m. Word gets around the crowd that people are getting arrested. Police will not comment.

Leticia Moro came out to the rally in protesting against the budget cuts in LAUSD. She has four children in the LAUSD and said that she is tired of seeing her kids suffering.

“Losing teachers, losing programs, classes, coaches. Students are currently suffering. No more assistant principals and no after school programs,” said Moro.

6:36 p.m. One protester is playing the bongo drums while other protesters dance in the street.

6:43 p.m. SWAT start moving people to get off the streets.

6:46 p.m. Protesters chant “We support them” when they see one of the protesters (unknown male) in flex-cuff restraints.

6:48 p.m. People are off the street with the SWAT team moving the protesters onto Prairie street in front of the A&W Seafood Restaurant.

6:52 p.m. “No more cuts” protesters chant.

6:54 p.m. Protesters hold up their lighters while singing WAR’s “Why can’t we be friends?”

6:57 p.m. ABC 7 news crew arrives. Protesters run to the news camera.

6:58 p.m. Captain Alfredo Fernandez repeats his message for protesters to disperse the area in 10 minutes or they will start arresting people for trespassing. Protestors chant “Peaceful protest.”

7:04 p.m. Sit down occurs on the east side of Reseda Boulevard and Prairie Street. More SWAT members are seen arriving.

7:12 p.m. Protesters telling everyone to get on the sidewalk.

7:17 p.m. Telling people to go back to CSUN.

7:20 p.m. Captain Fernandez says that as of now 3 people have been arrested. Unknown if they are CSUN students.

As of Friday, March 5, 2010 It is known that five students and one professor were arrested during yesterday’s protest. They have since been released.

CSUN Protest March 4 and Forward

Stay tuned

I am working on collecting all the facts surrounding the CSUN Protest of March 4, 2010 and the Press Conference that followed on March 5, 2010.