More than a thousand students walked out of their classes at
11:15 a.m. Wednesday to protest student fee increases and the
impending war against Iraq in an inspirational demonstration of
student activism. Though there were some pro-war people present,
the tone of Wednesday’s congregation in Westwood Plaza was
one of overwhelming anti-war sentiment.
Superficially, it may seem odd to pair student fee increases
with a war in the same protest, but it’s not. An indirect,
albeit true, connection exists between the two. Student fees will
be raised starting next quarter because California has fallen into
a debt of several billions dollars by mismanaging its economy;
it’s quite likely that fees will again be raised next year in
light of the state’s continuing deficit issues. California
has received no significant help from the federal government in
addressing its debt, even though the federal government is willing
to spend money on a costly war with Iraq.
To place it in a clearer perspective: If the United States
offered California the same amount in aid it offered Turkey for
military access to its land, the state’s debt would almost be
cut in half. This expenditure is only on “diplomacy”
efforts, not even the actual cost of the war itself.
UC students face immediate ramifications through fee hikes, but
high school students face these same issues as prospective UC
students themselves.
Walking out of class helped add to, not detract from,
students’ education. People were brought out into an open
forum and asked to present a visible challenge to officials and
those members of the public who support President George W.
Bush’s war efforts. Students have little direct power in UC
decision making, and even less when it comes to deciding whether or
not to attack Iraq. Walking out of class and protesting in large
numbers is the most effective way of casting attention on their
dissenting views.
While supporters of the war have the luxury of sitting back and
watching Bush send troops to the Middle East, students who oppose
the war cannot afford such passivity; their inaction would equal
tacit support.
Students for Global Peace and Justice and their affiliates did
an excellent job of organizing the walkout and should be commended
for subtracting from their own study time to try and push their
peers into discussing more important current affairs. The police,
too, did a good job of maintaining a presence without being a
presence: they allowed students to carry out their demonstrations
without interfering or seeming confrontational.
Although the walkout and protest drew an impressive amount of
students Wednesday, it paled in comparison to the amount of
students who actually attend UCLA. War is a serious issue; to not
debate it before it starts speaks to high levels of ignorance.
People should become involved in debate whether they support the
war with Iraq or not.
The walkout Wednesday was an invigorating demonstration of
democracy at work, but more people need to make their voices
heard.