Borrowing a page from the nationwide Occupy Wall Street movement, about 20 students on Monday occupied the campus center at University of Massachusetts Boston to protest cuts in public education spending and hikes in tuition.
“Public universities were built for the 99-percent and we intend on maintaining that,” said Amanda Achin, a 22-year-old student of political science at UMass Boston. “We need to end the wars, tax the rich and fund public education.”
Setting up a few tents inside the campus center Monday, the group said they plan to camp there indefinitely.
Distributing fliers, students occupiers said they supported many of the broad ideas put forth by the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Boston movement, but said this occupation really focuses on education.
Last year the University of Massachusetts approved a 7.5-percent increase in student fees, raising the price for a semester at UMass Boston in spring 2012 to $6,613.50 for in-state students.
“There is a lot of frustration among students about where the school is going and about them not having a say in it,” said Stasha Lampert, a 23-year-old student studying economics and political science.
Boston making me proud, again.
(via inspirement)
