Amidst growing outrage over police violence against the Occupy movement on the UC Davis and UC Berkeley campuses -- including the pepper spraying and baton beatings of non-violent protesters -- the University of California Board of Regents just announced that they will close their doors to the public when they vote on new cuts to education on November 28th. The public can only “participate” through a sham teleconference. 

This echoes the announcement from the California State University Board of Trustees that they will not engage in a public discussion or revote regarding the illegitimate tuition increase they passed behind closed doors last Wednesday. The leadership of both the UC and CSU systems refuse to face thousands of outraged students, faculty, and staff who demand they stop treating the 99% like an ATM.

Click here to demand the UC Regents and CSU Trustees open their doors to the public!

ReFund California to Challenge Approval of UC, CSU 2012 Budget Requests and Tuition Hike Without Open, In-Person Meetings. Calls for In-person Meetings to Consider Making Banks Pay Instead of Tuition Hikes

Dozens of students with ReFund California and the Occupy Wall Street movement were arrested for setting up encampments on Friday at UC Davis and UCLA as the movement continued its quick spread to campuses across California.  The protests came as UC Regents made plans to approve their 2012 budget request behind closed doors by teleconference with at least one UC Board member calling in from Florida.  The CSU Trustees similarly had approved a tuition hike behind closed doors on Wednesday in a possible violation of public meeting laws.

Thousands Converge In San Francisco and at CSU Trustees Meeting Wednesday

Following ReFund California’s Statewide Actions, Campuses Across California Unite in Calling on Higher Education Board Members to Make Banks Pay to Stop Cuts

Following widespread student protests and a growing movement calling on higher education board members to make banks pay instead of cutting funds to higher education, thousands of students, teachers and supporters converged yesterday in two locations – at the CSU Trustees meeting in Long Beach, and in downtown San Francisco.

The week of action that began with rallies at over 14 college campuses on November 9^th was conceived of and planned in September by ReFund California, a statewide coalition of students, teachers, homeowners, workers, community members and faith leaders working to make Wall Street banks pay for a crisis they helped to create. After uniting around ReFund California’s pledge calling on the state’s higher education board members to do everything in their power to make banks pay to stop cuts to higher education, students have begun self-organizing on their respective campuses, committed to building the movement to refund public education across the state.

 This is not just another video.  Watch this incredible segment on the Rachel Maddow show.  It starts with some little-seen clips of Mario Savio, a leader of the Berkelely free speech movement, giving his famous "put your bodies upon the gears" address in December 1964 and gives some historical context of how movements strengthen when the 1% overreacts and suppresses free speech.

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