Sonoma State University Joins National Protest Day

organizers are joining students around the Bay Area today to protest rising tuition costs and state budget cuts to public education in a wave of demonstrations at campuses up and down California.

The protests are part of a " to Defend the Right to Education" called by student organizations and members of the Occupy movement.

In California, the protests are the latest in a series of demonstrations over the lack of funding for public education in the state, which has resulted in dramatic fee increases for public universities in recent years.

Protesters intend to march on the state Capitol in Sacramento on Monday as well, and students are organizing to send busloads of protesters to the event.

At Sonoma State, students will hold a"Reclaim the People's University" event at noon today in Stevenson Quad.

The event is partculary important at SSU, where a shrinking budget hasspurred a . Tuition at the school has almost doubled since 2000, and budget cuts have forced enrollment restrictions, which some students say will .

The event will last throughout the day, starting with teach-ins, discussion circles and performances discussing cuts to departments, campus programs and the availability of student jobs.

Organizers said that university administration officials are intending to attend the events and discuss the students' concerns.

There will also be a night event on the campus, with a concert featuring musical performances and speakers from 9 p.m. until midnight.

One of today's most ambitious actions began at 4:30 a.m., when students at the University of California at Santa Cruz gathered intending to shut down the campus for the day.

Protesters at the University of California at Berkeley are holding their own open university this morning, and began gathering outside California Hall at 8 a.m.

A rally is planned in Sproul Plaza at noon, and then protesters are planning to march to Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza to join an evening rally there at the site of the former Occupy Oakland camp.

A "Reclaim SFSU" rally will be held at San Francisco State University starting at noon, followed by a march from Malcolm X Plaza.

Organizers of the SFSU event said the action is being held to improve the quality of education at the school, and reclaim a student voice in education.

Students at San Jose State University are planning a walkout at noon today, followed by a rally and march.

In San Francisco, protesters will hold a teach-in and occupation at the California State Office Building at 455 Golden Gate Ave. before holding a rally in Civic Center Plaza at 4 p.m.

Occupy Oakland protesters are planning a rally in Frank Ogawa Plaza at 5 p.m.

Protesters from throughout the state will hold a larger, unified demonstration on Monday in Sacramento.

The "Occupy Education" rally will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a march to the state Capitol building. The daylong event will also feature nonviolent direct action training and another rally at the Capitol that evening.

By Bay City News and Alexis Fitts