email apo UC student movement

To the students, faculty, and workers of the campus community:If you read the paper Monday morning and what you saw made you feel distantfrom the actions of those who took to the streets, do not fight that urge.Fight the urge to give up, the urge to walk away, or, the urge to becomepolice yourselves out of simple disagreement. The March 4 protests will notstand or fall on whether we all agree. They will stand or fall on whetherour numbers convey the grave urgency of the situation surrounding publiceducation in California. While the powerful few wring their hands, shedtears and say, “there is no alternative,” we must insist. We've heard thisexcuse before, and we're still not falling for it.Some of us will march to Sacramento, the seat of obstructionism, where cutsare the answer to every question.Some of us will march in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco showing thatwhatever happens in Sacramento, business as usual here at home cannot go onany longer.Some of us have already taken action, seizing buildings and spaces on andoff campus, transforming libraries and lecture halls into positiveeducational spaces.And some of us have supported our fellows even when we disagreed, defendingourselves against police batons and paying in blood, bruises and brokenbones.We mobilize against those who have partnered with corporate capital againstthe students, workers and families of California. Our spectrum of engagementkeeps us growing and no doubt among us will slow us down, divide us, ortrick us into giving up. We're in this fight for the long haul, to the end.Administrations from the campus level to Sacramento have a choice: To dealwith thousands that promise to mobilize for March 4 and beyond, or to riskcountless late-night street battles like the one last night in Berkeley.Because until there is substantive change in California, they will have todeal with both, and everything in between.See you on the streets on March 4.