More than 6,000 students from Central and Northern
California marched on the California Capitol today to demand full funding of
education, student debt relief and
Tax the Millionaires to pay for it. The impressive demonstration was organized
primarily by student associations of the community colleges, the CSU and U.C.
campuses in the northern half of the state.
Key legislative leaders addressed the crowd and offered
legislation to fund public education- which they can not pass do the
constitutional requirement of a 2/3 vote to raise taxes.
There have been many promises of an occupation of the
capitol, and the police presence was immense.
The first rally of the day was to end at 12:30. Occupy folks have set up a site on the
North Side of the Capitol where they held a general assembly and non violence training. The occupy supporters numbered about 100.
Yet a third event today was the 5:30 PM rally
organized by labor. About 400 trade unionists showed up and
supported the students and workers.
See photos.
The several unions supporting and funding the Tax the
Millionaires signature gathering used an effective strategy which we used in
March of 2010 while gathering signatures for the California Democracy Act. They printed several hundred well
done posters saying Tax the Millionaires.
They went to the student assembly points where thousands were arriving
without signs and gave the posters away free. In the march at least one of every six marchers was carrying
a Tax the Millionaires sign – an impressive showing. Tax the Millionaires is supported by the California
Federation of Teaches (AFT), the California Nurses (CNA) and most recently
Moveon. In addition to tabling,
some 60 signature gatherers traveled through the crowd to collect signatures of
voters.
UC Davis YDS members at the rally.
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