Action!

On March 4, tens of thousands of students and workers across the U.S. will be taking action against budget cuts, tuition hikes, and the privatization of education as part of the March 4 National Day of Action to Defend Education. From California to New York, Chicago to Tuscaloosa, Boston to Milwaukee, Seattle to Knoxville, Gainsville to Asheville, and all points in between, students and workers will be standing up and speaking out on March 4 to defend education in what is shaping up to be one of biggest days of action this country has seen in years.

On Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=312083917612&ref=ts

Join Carolina students on April 23 to

SPEAK OUT!

... for immigrants' rights
... for diversity in our community
... against hate speech and racism

We will gather at 6pm in the Pit to make signs. A rally and speak out to support immigrants' rights will begin at 6:30pm.

This event is being organized by multiple campus organizations to stand united against anti-immigrant and bigoted views being brought into our community by "Youth for Western Civilization."

Please note: this action is not organized or endorsed by any particular organization, but by members of multiple groups at UNC.

WHEN: Thursday March 26, at 11:45am
WHERE: The Pit (Rain Location, Carolina Union)
RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=75729300239&ref=ts

Demanding transparency and accountability, UNC community to protest education cuts and layoffs
Students, faculty, and workers to demonstrate at Board of Trustees meeting Thursday

Chapel Hill, NC - A broad coalition of students, faculty, and university workers will protest the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, March 26, in opposition to planned layoffs, cuts to programs and services, and increases in tuition. On March 19, Chancellor Thorp instructed all campus departments to make permanent budget cuts of at least 5%, which will have deep impacts on student services across campus, class sizes and availability, and will result in dozens of workers losing their jobs and hundreds more positions being left unfilled, which will put a huge strain on already overworked employees of the university. The protest will demand transparency and community involvement in decisions relating to the budget crisis, and that the University uphold its standards as a public institution by serving all members of our community - not corporate entities. The protesters will convene in the Pit at 11:45am (Rain location in lobby of the Carolina Union), then march to the Board of Trustees meeting at the Carolina Inn.

Members of UNC-Chapel Hill Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) will mark the 6th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq with a display on Polk Place about the skyrocketing costs of the war Thursday.

The display will be comprised of 2,000 flags, each representing 20 million dollars of taxpayer money.

These flags will be used to highlight the disparity between the $36.7 billion that North Carolina taxpayers have spent on the War in Iraq and the November 2008 corporate bailout on the one hand and the $3 billion they have spent on college scholarships since March 2003 on the other. 

Of the 2,000 flags, 1,847 will be needed to represent the 36.7 billion spent on the War and the corporate bailout, compared to only 153 flags for the money spent on college scholarships over the past six years.

That's a disparity of more than $12 spent on war and corporate greed for every one dollar spent on making college educations available for all North Carolinians.

SDS plans to have the display ready by 8 a.m. on Thursday. Members of the group will be on hand throughout the day to talk about the costs of the war with students and other community members passing through Polk Place.

For more information about UNC SDS, visit http://chapelhillsds.org/node/12.

The recent crisis in Gaza ignited a wave of protest across the country and in our community against the U.S.-funded Israeli assault on the people of Palestine. Even with the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel only days ago, IDF troops continue to occupy the Gaza strip, the blockade and closure of tunnels and border crossings into Gaza continues, and Israel is still refusing to allow desperately needed aid workers in. The U.S./Israeli siege on Gaza killed more than 1300 Palestinians, has left more than 500,000 homeless, 400,000 remain without access to running water and other basic necessities, and these figures will surely rise as the true scope of the destruction is realized. And despite the ceasefire in Gaza, the occupation of Palestine continues.

First, on Friday, January 23, at 4pm, UNC Chapel Hill Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) is organizing a press conference and rally at Rep. David Price's Chapel Hill office located at 88 Vilcom Center. We are outraged at Price's recent vote in favor of House Resolution 34, condoning Israel's attacks on Gaza and giving them a blank check to continue the massacre. It is only with the support of U.S. economic, military, and political aid that the siege on Gaza could happen and that the occupation is able to continue. We demand that David Price take a strong stance against the continued occupation of Palestine and let the people's voice be heard!

Please RSVP here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=59798837640

A delegation of students and community members will visit David Price's office at 88 Vilcom Circle, Chapel Hill NC at 9:00 AM on January 16 to express outrage at Representative Price's vote for House Resolution 34 ("Recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States' strong support for Israel, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process"). The resolution is a shameful expression of U.S. support for Israeli crimes in Gaza. The protestors will demand that Representative Price do everything in his power to work towards an unconditional Israeli ceasefire and immediate withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza.

If you would like to join us, please arrive a few minutes early. For more information, contact Hannah at 865-621-2973 or Scott at 919-794-1429.

WHO: Outraged students and community members

WHEN: Jan 16, 9:00 AM

WHERE: Congressman David Price's office, 88 Vilcom Circle, Chapel Hill NC

WHAT: Protest over David Price's support for Israeli massacres in Gaza

There will be a rally and speak-out in support of Students for a Democratic Society member and Chapel Hill activist Tamara Tal on Monday April 14, 2008 in front of the Chapel Hill Post Office/Courthouse at 11 am. Tamara Tal was arrested on a public sidewalk November 30, 2007 at the Burger King protest in Chapel Hill and on Monday, April 14, she will plead "not guilty" to the charge of "failure to disperse" (blocking free passage of a walkway-- C.H. town ordinance 11-6).

At the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, 450 students attended an antiwar rally at noon and 300 marched through campus and into the community, occupying the main intersection in town before ending with a closing rally on the steps of the administration building. SDS, thirteen other student organizations, members of the newly-founded UNC Coalition Against the War, six community organizations and members of Iraq Veterans Against the War led the demonstration. "I'm inspired by the hundreds of students who were willing to leave class and march against this unjust war," said Abby Crownshaw, a first-year student and an organizer of the protest. "We brought our message of peace and justice to thousands of students, faculty and staff."

Many classes were unable to continue because of the noise of the protest. As the march wound through campus, students came up to the windows to watch, with many waving or displaying peace signs to the demonstrators. At the closing rally, the protesters renewed their commitment to struggle against the war and continue to build the mass movement across North Carolina in the coming year.

See also: UNC Chapel Hill SDS flyer distributed at the rally, The Movement Against War: 5 years of struggle (pdf)

Press round-up:

03/24/08 - Public outcry can influence policy on the war in Iraq [DTH]
03/24/08 - War protest was useful in promoting conversation [DTH]