UC fee hikes incite uproar

About 300 students gathered in front of the administration building at UC Irvine Tuesday to protest against fee increases that will cause tuition to exceed $10,000 next year.

The new fees, part of a 32% fee increased approved last week by the UC Board of Regents, are about three times higher than those paid by UC students 10 years ago.

The students wielded signs reading “Don’t Cut Our Dreams” and “Bank Bailout = $800 Million. Where’s the UC Bailout?,” as they listened to those affected by the cuts give speeches and read poems about the situation.

Campus police in riot gear, with face shields and batons, formed a line in front of the administration building entrance.

They stopped a group of students who attempted to enter the building, admitting two representatives to speak to school leaders.

A full 70% of the fee increase revenues are set to go toward the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, which would allow admitted students, whose families earn less than $70,000 a year, to attend a UC for free.

“These students have worked very hard to make their feelings known, and they’re perfectly entitled to that,” UCI spokeswoman Cathy Lawhon said.

She said Tuesday that the school is working to mobilize the community with a letter-writing campaign to Sacramento.

“For the UCI community, I believe that this protest has been a big success. I’m really happy with it,” sophomore and protester Marleen Castillo said.

“They have a right to be distressed, for sure,” Lawhon said of the students. “That’s a huge hike. But at this point, the money not coming from the state has to be made up somewhere.”

Protests statewide are ongoing.

UCLA students protested the Board of Regents meeting on their campus with sit-ins and demonstrations.

Dozens of UC Santa Cruz students wearing bandannas locked themselves in a building for three days, trashing the building and ripping electronic conference equipment from rooms.

UCI students are commonly thought to be more conservative, and the school often is described as the “leashed” UC campus.

“This is ending now,” a protester yelled. “It’s not our job to deal with the financial crisis; it’s yours. … We are unleashed, as of now.”

The protest ended with a march.

“Whose university? Our university!” the students chanted, as they made their way across campus.