S.F. college students walk out

SAN FRANCISCO--Under the blaze of a hot California sun, several hundred college students walked out of their schools to protest the state's cuts to the education budget. Their chants echoed those of student marches in the late 1960's that ushered in a new era of student power.

Their banners proclaimed "Education for liberation, not for profit," "Bailout students, not bankers" and "Shut it down like '68." San Francisco State University (SFSU) president Robert Corrigan with his annual salary of some $280,000 drew special attention from the crowd.

While Corrigan gets rich, his administration is carrying out the education cuts, such as fee hikes for students.

The energy spiked when police attempted to bar students from walking four lanes across as they headed up State Highway 1 to Ocean Ave., where the marched slowed to a crawl as it joined up with students from City College.

But the students took the streets even as police attempted to stop them. There was a brief period of confusion as the police did manage to slow the march for a while, but morale was strong. "Keep walking, push through," someone shouted. "The police can't touch us!" In seconds, the students broke past the officers' line.

Every five minutes, a honk and a wave sent a cheer through the determined crowd. Many stopped what they were doing to watch at full attention, as if saluting a fellow soldier in the struggle for justice. At a local school, throngs of children waved from behind metal fences. "Educate our children!" cheered the marchers. "Do it for our children!"

This drove the message home: our education should not be sacrificed for bailouts and a budget balanced on the backs of working people and students.