Irvine Students March for Higher Education and Fair Pay

Ryan Toves
Dec 3, 2015
3 min read

Photo by Yini Chen

Over 400 UC Irvine (UCI) students amassed beneath the shadow of Aldrich Hall last Thursday to rally for tuition-free public college, cancellation of all student debt, and a $15 minimum wage for all campus workers.

UCI is one of over 120 college campuses in more than 35 states to take to the streets with signs, megaphones, and youthful angst for a national day of action collectively referred to as the Million Student March — a name which UCI chose to forgo Thursday morning in response to concerns raised by the Black Student Union (BSU) over its appropriation of the historic Million Man March for Civil Rights.

“I know that in all likelihood, today won’t really change anything, but I think it’s important for people who might never otherwise see an action, or even consider joining a movement … if we can at least get more people curious about the issues, and asking more questions, and informing themselves, then I think we’ve accomplished something,” said second year ASUCI organizer Jerry Rivas.

Tight groups of friends and rally-goers thronged the stairs in huddled masses holding an assortment of hand-made signs mounted on seemingly any and every piece of lumber longer than an arm’s length: some aggressive and written in bold neon fonts, some simple and imposingly-no-nonsense. Each sign’s unique message visually echoed the motivations that compelled a healthy number of UC Irvine’s traditionally apolitical student body to sacrifice their time during one of the busiest weeks in the quarter. “Education Is A Right, Not A Privilege,” “I Can’t Afford College Anymore,” and “People of Color Are Not Accessories for Diversity,” were a few of the phrases poking through the crowd and hovering just above the sea of faces.

BSU Makes Their Stand

A group of BSU members draped in all black and silent save for the sounds of Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up” and Kendrick Lamar’s “The Blacker the Berry,” gathered just beyond the rally near the intersection of Langson Library and the Gateway Study Center for a separate action demonstrating student solidarity with protestors and social justice activists at the University of Missouri. The unapologetically proud activists linked arms and formed a vertical chain perpendicular to Ring Road’s broad avenue, forcing students to walk around them on either side. Between them hung brown posters with “#UCIBSU stands with MUBSU,” “#Fire Tim Wolfe,” and “#Support Jonathan Butler” inscribed upon their surfaces.

While the demonstration was silent, one of the BSU leaders did speak up to remind the organization and their non-Black allies poised defensively at their back, that the chain would only be broken to allow disability transportation vehicles currently carrying disabled persons through. Beginning at noon and ending several hours after the march, the action lasted over 4 hours with students remaining statue-like the entire duration of the event.

The March Begins and Ends

The rally-goers soon parted from the flagpole steps as head ASUCI organizer Taylor Chanes announced, “Ok y’all, we’re gonna do a march. Please join us and follow the people with megaphones, and please be respectful of the BSU action going on right next to us.”

Roughly half the remaining rally attendees left for class, or chose not to march fearing punishment. The lone squad car perched like a hawk in the distance, and several stone faced elderly-white administrators silently observing the demonstrators throughout the rally, simply watched as the crowd began to mobilize. Several ASUCI students wearing all black, broken only by red megaphones printed on their shirts mirroring the real ones held only inches from their lips, began the standard chants widely used throughout the UC campuses: “When student rights are under attack, what do we do? Unite fight back!” “I’m fired up, can’t take it no more!” “UC Step off it, put people over profit!”

Several of the chant leaders went horse using all their volume and energy to keep the roughly 150 marchers engaged. The parade proceeded down Ring Road, through the School of Humanities, over the bridge, from one side of Claire Trevor to the other, across the street, and finally back to the steps near Aldridge where it all began.

Photo by Taylor Chanes

Two Protests Become One

Several marchers called for escalating the action by locking arms and blocking the doors of Aldrich Hall. Chanes, while not necessarily discouraging that option, encouraged the remaining protestors to join the still ongoing BSU action. The remaining students agreed that supporting their Black friends and allies was more important at the moment, and quietly they filed into row after silent row behind BSU. The two actions merged together as one, with the marchers now in solidarity with their silent Black counterparts.

Second year organizer Tameena Weiss reflected upon the day and said, “This is only the first step. Students are very much aware of how they’re being exploited and oppressed, and we will fight, and we will win.”