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

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

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

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.

Natalia Abrams
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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

Support independent journalism that does not fall in line

Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets. 

Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.  

As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war. 

In these dark times, independent journalism is uniquely able to uncover the falsehoods that threaten our republic—and civilians around the world—and shine a bright light on the truth. 

The Nation’s experienced team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers understands the scale of what we’re up against and the urgency with which we have to act. That’s why we’re publishing critical reporting and analysis of the war on Iran, ICE violence at home, new forms of voter suppression emerging in the courts, and much more. 

But this journalism is possible only with your support.

This March, The Nation needs to raise $50,000 to ensure that we have the resources for reporting and analysis that sets the record straight and empowers people of conscience to organize. Will you donate today?

Natalia Abrams Natalia Abrams is the president and founder of Student Debt Crisis, where she advocates for student loan debt reform and the creation of lending solutions for all borrowers and students pursuing affordable and accessible higher education.


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