Louisiana students protest cuts

BATON ROUGE, La.--Some 500 Louisiana students, teachers and supporters gathered here on November 10 for a demonstration against huge cuts to public education.

Students came from the University of New Orleans (UNO), Nicholls State University, South Eastern Louisiana University, University of Louisiana, Louisiana State University and even from Northwestern State University, which is a four-hour drive away.

Speakers included leaders of different student groups, a representative of the Louisiana Association of Educators and a member of LSUnited, a union for educators and university staff.

This event wasn't just a criticism of Gov. Bobby Jindal's cuts to higher education, but a criticism of his pro-corporate agenda. Shouts of "Raise taxes" and signs that called for higher taxes to fund education peppered the crowd, along with shouts of disapproval over the massive giveaways to corporations in Louisiana.

Several speakers angrily referred to Jindal's possible bid for the presidency in 2012, and the crowd booed and chanted "Where's Bobby?" when they were told that Jindal couldn't make it to the event that day was because he was out promoting his book.

Speakers told the crowd that this was a good beginning to building the larger movement that will be needed to get proper funding for public higher education. One of the speakers described a recent night-long occupation of UNO's student union by a number of students.

When the speeches were over and it was time for the crowd to disperse, a number of UNO and Nicholls students cried, "March to the mansion! March to the governor's mansion!" About 15 or so students proceeded to march to the governor's mansion and continued chants of "Save our state, educate!" and even "2, 4, 6, 8: Who do we all f*cking hate? Jindal, Jindal!"