Thursday, July 1, 2010

Students Protest Censorship Of Budget Hearings At Puerto Rican State Capital, Police Repelled Protesters

University of Puerto Rico student protests reignite after legislators closed budget hearings, and dozens injured as police use force to take out students from state capital

By H. Nelson Goodson
July 1, 2010

San Juan, Puerto Rico - On Wednesday, dozens of students and members of the media were reported injured after trying to gain access to a legislative session at the State Capital of Puerto Rico. Legislators had closed the budget hearing session to the public for several months. Students from the University of Puerto Rico, including the media reported being censored from the session and hearings by Senate leader Thomas Rivera Schatz for the last three days.
Students and member of the media entered the Capital Rotunda before 3:00 p.m. to attend the final day of the session when they were stopped by Capital security. The students were attempting to address the proposed budget cuts by legislators and Governor Luis Fortuño for the University of Puerto Rico, fee hikes, and school privatization. The media included, student media, Radio Huelga, Indymedia, Onda Alterna and Rumbo Alterno.
Months of student protests against university budget cuts had ended a week before. The protests were ignited again after legislators closed the budget hearings to the public and media.
Police were called to repel the students and media from the rotunda and resulted in multiple injuries. Students who sat inside a hall leading to the session were sprayed with pepper spray and then were forced out of the State Capital by police. Police from the Tactical Operations Division used force, pepper spray, canisters of tear gas and beat students with batons. The students threw eggs, bottles with urine, and a metal barricade at the officers, according to police. Legislator's vehicles were reported damaged.
While police clashed with students outside the State Capital, the legislature passed a $9.333 billion fiscal 2011 budget, which Governor Fortuño is expected to sign. Next semester, students at the University of Puerto Rico will also be hit with an $800 tuition increase "Special fee" to off set an projected $200 million deficit. Currently, students pay $45 per credit.
Police reported that they had received information students would attempt to disrupt the legislative session, in protest of university budget cuts. Student protest organizers say, they were just exercising their right to address the issue with legislators, but legislators decided to keep the students from participating in the decision making process by having closed budget hearing sessions for several months.
Hundreds of students participated in the protest. On Thursday, Governor Fortuño condemn the use of force against the students who were engage in a peaceful protest. Fortuño said it's unfortunate that the incident occured, especially when the government of Puerto Rico should be accessible to its people and freedom of expression is a Constitutional given right. The governor has ordered an investigation into the use of force by police and why the state legislators went into close session during budget debates, when the proceedings should have been made public.

News Youtube videos of University of Puerto Rico student protest and police confrontation at State Capital in San Juan. Links http://bit.ly/9lq8ef and http://bit.ly/9BXjXc


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