An Open Letter and Pledge of Non-Violence to UC President Mark Yudof from the Founder of Occupy Colleges,

As a UCLA alumni, I am horrified by the actions taken by the UC police at UC Davis, UC Berkeley and UCLA. In addition, there are new reports from Baruch College and the New School in New York City, about more arrests and abuses against students. These actions must stop!

Isn’t it bad enough that they keep raising our tuitions and lowering our quality of education? Now they want to beat us into submission. These tactics will not work.

As a committed member of Occupy Colleges I pledge to continue students actions until we see a true change in our educational system -lower tuition rates, student loan restructuring etc. We are committed as well to supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement because that is "Change we can believe in."

What is happening to students in terms of economic abuses (along with the physical abuse) is a microcosm of what is happening to our country at the national level. The whole nation is paying more for less quality.

That is why Occupy Colleges supports Occupy UC Davis’ call for a general strike to bring attention to what is happening on our campuses and in the world.

We will strike on November 28th, the day we all get back from our Thanksgiving Holiday. Let us use this break to mobilize as many people as possible to protest against the economic injustices against students and citizens,  and the dismantling of free speech and the right to peacefully assemble.

If we don’t stand up for our rights immediately  there may be none left to stand up for.

In Solidarity,

Natalia Abrams – Occupy Colleges