Going On Now: Hwy 1 Closed to NB Traffic at Junction of Hwy 17 in Santa Cruz

Notice from local police:

UCSC student protesters have blocked the traffic on Highway 1 at the junction of Highway 17 (the fish hook) in Santa Cruz.

Please try to avoid the area and find an alternate route.

Detours are available.

The protests are called 96 Hours of Action. Here is the organizers’ statement posted on social media:

“***THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION**** for students of all Universities, Community Colleges, High Schools, Middle Schools past, present, and future to stand up for free public education and shut down the racist, classist, corporate, militarized police state.

“The same people benefiting from racial oppression are the same people benefiting from education debts. The state of California is failing its people by investing in police and prisons instead of public education. It’s time to reject this assault on our communities and stand together for education and the end of police violence.

“~~MARCH 2-4th: SHUT IT DOWN -- host direct actions, workshops, teach-ins, (the possibilities are endless!!)
“~~MARCH 5th: STRIKE!!!!! no work no school, show up and stop the cycle of economic exploitation from continuing -- strikes work, and big gains have recently been made for public education in Quebec, Germany, and Chile.

“Stand with your fellow students to demand a free, non-oppressive, non-corporate education. We call upon your collective voices and bodies to end this state-sponsored violence against black and brown individuals, end this war against low-income communities, shut down the school-to-prison pipeline, and prioritize PEOPLE OVER PROFITS! STUDENTS OVER SUITS!

“#EducationNotIncarceration
#EndThePoliceState
#FightTheHikes
#RejectTheRegents.”

--Photos via Liberate our Education on Facebook.

The following video from YouTube shows on-campus protesting of UCSC tuition hikes and was posted by karamelinda11.