A group of around 200 UC Santa Cruz teaching assistants and undergraduate students marched through campus Monday afternoon, to encourage people to stand with UC Davis’ general strike next Monday, Nov. 28.“Nobody goes to work, nobody goes to school,” one person chanted, echoed by the participants.
UC Davis is calling for the strike in response to last Friday’s action, when UC Davis police pepper sprayed Occupy UC Davis protesters.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable,” first-year Eli Willis said. “It’s the police’s job to keep things orderly. When everything’s in order and there’s no violence, why would they bring violence into a peaceful location?”
Participants convened at around 3 p.m. in Quarry Plaza, where they voted to march through campus to spread word about Monday’s general strike. Other options included going to Kerr Hall. Third-year Irene Merritt said as soon as they arrived, professors and students in the Media Theater were excited about their message and chanted with them.
Second-year David Rothstein worked the circulation desk at McHenry Library when the march entered the building at around 6 p.m.
“It’s ironic to disturb studying of the students whose education you’re trying to defend,” Rothstein said. “It’s hella righteous, though.”
