Hundreds protest budget cuts at UCI

More than 500 University of California at Irvine students and employees gathered for a noontime rally at the campus plaza to protest system-wide budget cuts. The action was part of a day of protests at all U.C. campuses.

Humanities professor Catherine Liu urged the crowd to oppose any future cuts.

“Educate, empower yourselves, learn what you’re not supposed to learn, take charge of where you’re going, figure out why the UC was virtually tuition free in 1972,” she said.

Rally organizers urged students and professors to walk out of classes for the midday rallies. It was unclear how many left classes. A U.C. Irvine spokeswoman said the administration had not urged professors or students to stay in class, a message was sent to professors, she added, that class time would have to be made up.

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At the rally Emeritus Chicano Studies Professor Gilbert Gonzalez says he explained to his class of 200 students why he was not going to teach.

“I’m going to the walkout as a statement, as a protest, to let those who have made these measures, to make it known I oppose these measures," he said. "I explained to my class why I was doing this.”

Gonzalez said students applauded his statements.

U.C. Irvine cut $77 million from its budget this year. That’s led to a six percent cut in classes and 500 fewer freshman students admitted this fall. Employees at all U.C.’s are taking unpaid days off. Some faculty are upset U.C. administrators did not take into account their ideas to mitigate the effect of budget cuts.