Minneapolis, MN – Students for a Democratic Society at the U of M held a rally, March 2, in front of the student union to demand no tuition hikes, no staff layoffs and shared governance for all members of the university community. It was part of a day of action called by Students for a Democratic Society nationally. Despite extreme temperatures, 50 students, staff and faculty attended, chanting, “Fund education, not administration,” and “They say cut back? We say fight back!”

Speakers included representatives from SDS, AFSCME local 3800 (the fighting clerical workers' union), La Raza Student Cultural Center, Faculty for the Renewal of Public Education and the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

Tracy Molm, SDS member and organizer for AFSCME local 3800, spoke on behalf of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, saying, “I am sick of U.S. tax dollars funding wars instead of educations.”

Another demand of the education rights campaign at the U of M is, “Hands off the cultural centers.” The second floor of the student union at the U of M is made up of student cultural centers and student group office spaces. The entire floor is under threat as the administration considers replacing it with homogenous resource center and refuses to consider the importance of this community to the university. SDS speaker Chris Getowitz stated that SDS, while not a second floor group, stands in solidarity with these organizations: “The second floor is a safe space for marginalized voices on this campus. The U of M should be expanding these spaces, not eliminating them!”

There was also a focus on the struggle happening in the neighboring state of Wisconsin, where workers are fighting for collective bargaining rights. AFSCME 3800 Chief Steward Cherrene Horazuk talked about the importance of standing in solidarity with people around the world and at home fighting for their rights, “...united we bargain, but divided we beg.” SDS and AFSCME Local 3800 committed to continue to stand in solidarity with those fighting in Wisconsin.

#UniversityOfMinnesota #MinneapolisMN #SDS #PublicEducation #March2ndNationalDayOfActionToDefendPublicEducation

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Milwaukee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Students Stand in Solidarity with State Capitol Occupation

Over fifty students and youth are currently occupying the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) and the numbers of occupiers are still growing. Milwaukee students are occupying UWM in solidarity with the global resistance to capitalism that is spreading the globe from Egypt to Madison.

From UWMoccupied.wordpress.com: “We stand in solidarity with the workers and students striking and occupying the Wisconsin State Capitol building. We demand immunity for all occupiers and strikers involved in these actions.”

On February 17th, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UWM organized over 3,000 people to demonstrate in opposition to Governor Scott Walker’s “Budget Repair Bill,” which proposes to destroy the rights of workers unions and Wisconsin citizens. This is the largest rally that UWM has seen since 1971.

On the March 2nd National Day of Action to Defend Public Education, Milwaukee SDS organized another walkout to continue the opposition to Walker’s attack on workers and students. 2,000 university students and staff walked out and took over streets around the campus.

Last week, SDS chapters from around the country travelled to the occupied Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, where they led a student contingent in the 100,000 strong rally against Walker.

At the end of our rally in solidarity with the 3rd National Day of Action to Defend Public Education, which over 2,000 people attended, UWM community members began an occupation of their university.

#MilwaukeeWI #Labor #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #March2ndNationalDayOfActionToDefendPublicEducation