CSUN: 'Day of Action' Protest at Cal State Northridge Today; LAPD Sends Out the Troops (Just in Case)

By Dennis Romero Wed., Mar. 2 2011 at 7:03 AM

Activist Student Coalition

Signs of the times for students.

The kids will be all over the street today, and school's not even out for summer.

No, it's the annual Day of Action protest to decry those massive hikes in state college tuition and fees that make gas prices look friendly. And although it's a UC-and-Cal State-wide movement that seems to have bled to other states, the focus around here seems to be on Cal State Northridge.

Thousands are expected around the campus Wednesday. And on that note ...

... the LAPD will be out like gang busters and even has a plan " ... in the event of a civil disturbance." Guess helmets are required for this one.

Day of Action comes to Northridge.

But don't fear. Here's what the department states:

The Unified Command will be established to assist university students in the exercise of their First Amendment Right to rally and express their concerns over the rising costs of education. The students plan to march, play music, and deliver speeches in and around the University Campus. There is no indication this rally will be anything other than peaceful.

Last year's event ended in some unruliness and arrests near CSUN. One teacher even said her arm was broken as police tried to break up the protest after-dark.

The fun starts at Oviatt Library at 10 a.m.

The Northridge Daily Sundial reports that organizers have an "all-day permit" for the festivities.

Co-organizer Randi Rulayne Picarelli, a CSUN communications and gender studies professor, tells the Weekly students are inspired to show up because their school costs have gone up almost fourfold since the late 1990s, when she was a student there:

"I love the institution and I never want to leave, but I've never seen it this bleak."

We'll be watching. On TV.

Tags:

Activist Student Coalition, Cal State Northridge, CSU, CSUN, fee hikes, LAPD, tuition, UC

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Prado

If they want me to support them then protest on a Saturday when they don't have class. If they are so angry then show up to the University when you don't have to be there and make your arguement. It is very easy when you have to be there for class to walk-out of class, hold up a sign and march around. Go do it on your day-off. That would get my attention.

Leftcoasttim

I have suggested this via on-line newspapers last year, but....people, you HAVE the power to change things. BOYCOTT. Stay home. Work on your uncle's farm in Nebraska. Go visit Europe for a year. Volunteer to help 3rd worlders somewhere. Work part-time. Why MUST you spend mega-bucks to take French. Lit 101, and/or get a degree RIGHT NOW? There aren't any jobs out there anyway. Just like with gasoline or sugar or Starbuck's, etc., if you quit buying, THEY WILL BE FORCED TO LOWER PRICES. Seriously, if you stop playing their game and paying their inflated tuition rates, they will either have to close all State campuses, or just like a retailer, LOWER prices to bring back their customers...YOU.It can be done, just be comitted and...BOYCOTT, each and every one of you students. Make them dance to YOUR tune.

Jserratravel

I don't mind students protesting, but they need to have consideration for people who are trying to get home, get to work, etc. Tonight around 5:15 I sat at the light at Reseda and Plummer for atleast 15 minutes, while the protesters continued to pile in to the crosswalks, even when ithe light changed. They didn't give a damn about inconveniencing all of us who were trying to get to our various destinations. I watched hundreds of students continue to cross the street at Plummer, with total disregard for any one else. I know none of them care, but I was late for work because of these idiots. You might have had some sympathy from me about the fees increasing, if you hadn't been so selfish. Instead, all you did was piss me off.

Bvrf06

they had permits so thats why they shut the streets down. they couldve done a better job letting the public know ahead of time though

Lucan Walters

The permits did NOT include blocking Reseda. What irritates me is that when 200 people broke away and blocked Reseda, the LAPD did nothing but block traffic. They should have removed the students forceable from the intersection immediately, but did not.

At 6:30, I observed HUNDREDS of officers and DOZENS of black and whites parked by the stadium. They even had a LAPD food truck and porta-potties, but these officers were not deployed to Reseda boulevard to remove the protestors. Why have hundreds of officers staged in a parking lot on overtime if you don't plan on using them?

I am glad they had donuts and coffee while I was stuck in traffic.

OH...P.S....I watched an officer allow the wife of another cop to go through the traffic barricade while stopping the rest of 'us'. Blue always protects blue so you wonder why we have vigilantes.

David the small-L libertarian

It's outrageous that the city would issue a permit for 200 protesters to march around the campus and then sit in the middle of Reseda Blvd. for 30 minutes during rush hour. I'm guessing that the business owners didn't much appreciate the fact that their patrons couldn't get to them while these ingrates reclined on the pavement.

I'm going to see if the city will give me a permit to stand in the middle of Reseda Blvd. so that I can protest its policy of issuing permits to protesters to stand in the middle of the street.