Students protest fund cuts

March 5, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

BERKELEY, Calif.

Rowdy protesters blocked major gates at two California universities and smashed the windows of a car Thursday amid campus protests across the nation against deep cuts in education funding.

Protesters at the University of California, Santa Cruz surrounded the car while its driver was inside.

The uninjured driver was not trying to get onto campus and appeared to have been singled out at random, Santa Cruz police Capt. Steve Clark said.

University provost David Kliger said there were reports of protesters carrying clubs and knives, but Clark could not confirm those reports.

No arrests had been made at the school.

An advisory posted on its Web site urged people to avoid the campus because of safety concerns. It also said protesters had photographed the license plate of a staff member trying to enter the campus.

Marches, strikes, teach-ins and walkouts were planned nationwide in what was being called the March 4th National Day of Action for Public Education.

Organizers said hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and parents were expected to participate in the demonstrations.

Some university officials said they supported the protests as long as they remained peaceful.