Gainesville, FL, – On Nov. 19, University of Florida Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally against police militarization in Turlington Plaza. Nearly three dozen students gathered at this busy spot where crowds of students walk by between classes. The student activists held signs saying, “Opt out of the 1033 program,” and “Schools don’t need soldiers.”

Student organizers handed out pamphlets explaining the 1033 Program and how the University of Florida and Alachua County receive weaponry through it. The 1033 Program is an initiative of the Department of Defense where surplus military grade weapons are given to local police departments, including university police departments. These departments have to pay to upkeep these weapons, which, depending on the items, can become very costly.

Tristan Worthington, an organizer with SDS, led the rally and amped up the crowd chanting, “When I say ‘opt out’, you say ‘now!’” She then emphasized, “As responsibly aware citizens, we have to work to ensure that police departments do not have unbridled reign in pursuing unnecessary armament. Police are supposed to be citizens protecting citizens, not soldiers quelling the voice of the masses.”

Chris Cassada, President of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, spoke at the rally. He said, “Students should care about demilitarizing the police because tuition money should be spent solely on furthering education, not on arming campus police with dangerous weapons. The required usage of the weapons within a year also creates a false incentive to use the weapons against students.”

Throughout the rally three university administrators watched from the edge of the crowd. At the end of the event, they approached some of the organizers and asked them whether or not they’re planning on escalating these actions. One of the SDS organizers simply said, “We’ll see you on Dec. 3.” SDS is planning to hold a final action against police militarization on Dec. 3 where they plan on speaking with administrators.

#GainesvilleFL #UniversityOfFloridaUF #GainesvilleSDS #antiPoliceMilitarization #1033Program

Gainesville, FL – Students at the University of Florida (UF) got a real taste of fear this past week when members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) hosted the “Tuition Hikes House of Horrors.” SDS created a walk in haunted house filled with information about the scary 15% tuition hikes the University of Florida administrators are imposing.

Detailing the University president's $1.2 million salary and the state's plans to increase tuition by 7-8% each year for the next decade, participants were introduced to SDS's Student Budget Proposal. The student proposal emphasizes using the University's billion-dollar emergency endowment fund and demands that UF “chop from the top,” instead of shifting the crisis onto the students and faculty of the university.

Dave Schneider of Gainesville SDS said, “It's important that students not only become aware of the horrifying facts about tuition hikes, but that they take an active role in opposing the administration's plans to commercialize our education. If they had their way, UF wouldn't be a place of learning anymore – it'd be a degree mill and an easy big paycheck for the administration and their cronies.”

#GainesvilleFL #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #UniversityOfFloridaUF #tuitionHikes #GainesvilleSDS

Gainesville, FL – 80 members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and their allies participated in a march here, Sept. 16, against annual tuition hikes planned by administrators at the University of Florida (UF). Administrators say they will raise tuition by 15% or more each year through 2019.

Starting in Turlington Plaza with speeches from several student leaders and the vice-president of the local IBEW, activists rallied against the increase in tuition. Angry students held signs reading, “Students unite and right against tuition hikes,” and “No hikes, no fees, education should be free.” The young people chanted, “Chop from the top!” as they began their march to Tigert Hall, the administration building on campus. Despite a strong presence from the authorities and the pleas of the administrators, the students were angry enough to take and block a lane of traffic as they marched towards Tigert Hall through the Plaza of the Americas.

Pausing to hear more speeches at the feet of a giant, unpopular statue of two figures dancing in the Plaza of the Americas, organizers with SDS took a moment to drape a large yellow price tag reading “$35,000” over the statue. Students see the statue, being rented for a limited time, as symbolic of the ridiculous amount of money wasted by the administration. Protesters laughed and mocked the statue while the administration was unable to take the price tag down. SDS organizer Robbey Hayes said, “The administration thinks it can waste our money on this useless statue while we're silent about the rising cost of our education – that's why we're marching loudly to Tigert Hall to demand our money back.”

True to their words, the activists returned to the streets, leading a militant final march to Tigert Hall. Students with bullhorns chanted, “When education is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” as they neared the administration building. Encountering heavy resistance from the university president's goons, members of SDS in the front lines managed to rally the crowd's fighting spirit and eventually pushed their way into the administration building. Once inside, the protesters chanted louder than ever as dozens of higher-ups tried unsuccessfully to get the crowd to simmer down. They quickly made their way upstairs and occupied the hallway leading to the office of UF President Bernie Machen, blocking the exits and ignoring the directions to disperse shouted at them by administrators.

With the crowd screaming “We want Bernie! We want Bernie!” leaders of the march negotiated with President Machen's staff members until their demands were met – a meeting about the tuition hikes between President Machen and top leaders from SDS is scheduled a week from the day of the march. Summing up the action, SDS Organizer Chrisley Carpio said, “SDS has proved it again: Militant student activism gets results. Until President Machen meets our demands, we will continue to organize until the tuition increases stop.”

After scheduling the meeting with the administration, SDS ended the day by dropping a banner reading “Chop from the Top!” outside the wall of Tigert Hall facing a busy intersection. Activism season is officially in full effect for Gainesville SDS.

#GainesvilleFL #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #UniversityOfFloridaUF