On Friday, June 6, 2008, AFSCME and supporters held actions starting at 10 am and ending after 7pm. The actions coincided with Chancellor Blumenthal's inauguration. At noon, a couple hundred protestors marched to the East Field House to greet the guests at the inauguration. From there protestors marched down Bay Street, stopping occasionally at intersections to hold impromptu picketlines.
When the march arrived at Bay and Mission, one of the busiest intersections in Santa Cruz because Mission makes up Route 1, about 30 people formed a circle and sat down as an act of civil disobedience. In an interesting twist of events, the cops re-routed traffic but refused to arrest all 30 of the people. As a result protestors sat at the intersection, with supporters standing and chanting on the street corners, successfully disrupting traffic and very strongly conveying the message that poverty wages at UC Santa Cruz must end.
ASFSCME and the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice are the two groups responsible for planning and carrying out the day of action. UAW-QUAD outreached to the graduate students, resulting in many joining the various actions throughout the day. Congratulations on a successful day of actions!
(for more images of the day visit http://www.indybay.org/santacruz)
