Two UNO students were handcuffed and arrested by campus police yesterday after a protest supposedly got out of hand. At least one student was sprayed with mace, and the campus police chief had to be taken to the hospital for injuries he sustained to his ankle. Eyewitnesses and video footage seem to contradict the account of the police chief, who said he was punched and dragged down the stairs. Those present say he is lying.
Institutions of higher education are under assault in Louisiana, thanks to budget cuts and appropriation reductions championed by Governor Bobby Jindal, who is trying to kill the public university system in the state. After slashing nearly a quarter of the budget, Jindal announced even more cuts, to the tune of nearly 38%. Complicating matters is the impending expiration of hundreds of millions of dollars provided by the federal stimulus package.
If something is not done to stop the lunacy of the Jindal administration, drastic changes will have to be made at UNO, including the reduction of the number of teachers and higher class sizes. But the greatest upheaval will come with the restructuring of campus departments, which may result in the elimination of majors in fields such as management, marketing, English, science, mathematics and social studies.
These changes will devastate the university, the students, and the entire city of New Orleans. Thanks to the protestors for expressing our collective outrage, and for representing all of us students whose education and future are in limbo.
(More from the official protest website OccupyLA with photos and links to video clips)
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