Teachers and students from schools of all levels are fanned across the state today as part of a "day of action" that started with discussions at University of California-Berkeley and spread across the country.
Here's a running account of the protests.
SANTA CRUZ — 9:00 p.m.Just before 9 p.m., the group headed to a Front Street parking structure and the crowd mostly dispersed.
All in all, said Santa Cruz Police Capt. Steve Clark, actions within the city were peaceful.
"There's been no other acts of violence, no vandalism," he said Thursday night. "We're just putting together resources and preparing for what they are going to do tomorrow."
SANTA CRUZ — 6:30 p.m.
About 150 to 200 students left the base of UC Santa Cruz and were headed to the Town Clock at 6:30 p.m., according to emergency radio traffic. The group was trying to decide what the next steps would be. The options being debated were taking the protest downtown tonight, occupying a campus building or continuing the strike on Friday.
SAN FRANCISCO — 6 P.M.
Shortly before nightfall, hundreds of protestors of all ages filled San Francisco Civic Center for a noisy upbeat rally. A group of six San Jose State Unified School District classified workers joined the protest to make sure the voices of support staff
were heard.The decline of bus drivers, cafeteria workers, classroom aides and secretaries have created real hardship for children in poorer districts, said Robin Hill, a San Jose office technician.
Kids waiting longer in lunch lines often end up skipping their only meal of the day, she said, and families who lack insurance can no longer rely on medical care at school.
"We can't support the kids in the way we would like to," Hill said. "Paper, pens and pencils they are all lacking." A mother- daughter pair of teachers from San Mateo carried a symbolic coffin through the throngs of protestors Thursday.
