Paro RUM: At the Gates of UPRM’s 24-hour Strike

Thumbnail image by Fran Zayas.

On Thursday, February 16, in a record-setting student assembly, UPRM students voted in favor of a 24-hour strike effective Wednesday, February 22 in protest of the projected $300 million budget cuts to the University and possible spike in enrollment costs. Students closed campus gates swiftly at midnight on Wednesday, and people were not allowed to cross picket lines for the whole day. During the strike, student activists organized a variety of workshops and conferences–some led by professors–about subjects such as civil disobedience, the origins of Puerto Rico’s debt, intersectional feminism, among others.

Many students opposed the contested strike, arguing during the student assembly last Thursday that strikes and organized protests should always be the final and not the first option. Other students opposed the strike altogether, arguing that the best way to defend education is to go to class. Regardless, student participation at each of the seven UPRM gates was high and they were not alone: professors from different departments and campuses came to support the UPRM as well.

Barcelona Gate, 2:17AM–Wednesday February 22

A crowd of over 30 students are gathered at the Barcelona Gate, UPRM’s main entrance; their cars, trucks, and tents block the entrance to the gate, and some cars are parked all the way down towards the Experimental Station down the road. One of the leaders of the gate site–Andrea Beatriz Díaz, a Social Science major–passes around a trash bag while other students hand out cups of hot chocolate. The gatherers are buzzing with excitement despite their evident tiredness. They’re keeping themselves busy in order to stay awake: some play volleyball in the corner near the gate wall, others talk and joke around near the José de Diego statue, while some sit on mats on the sidewalk quietly reading and studying.  

Huyke catches up on homework at the gates. Photograph by Fran Zayas.

One of the students studying at the gate, Héctor Huyke, a senior Hispanic Studies major, points out why there has been a sudden spike of people at the gate: “You can tell the bars just closed.” Indeed, students have been arriving in a steady flow after closing time, some enthusiastically honking their horns as they drive by, others arriving by foot–Burger King bag in tow–to join their classmates at the gates after a night out.

Photograph by Fran Zayas.

Around 3AM, one of the protesters, Gustavo Velázquez, suggests an improv routine to keep people awake and to break the ice. Lyann Egipciaco, a student of the Faculty of Agricultural Science, starts: “I’m pissed the job fair was cancelled after so many enmiendas,” a sentiment that flourished laughter.

Someone else chimes in, jokingly saying “I’m pissed there’s class on Friday!”

Andrea interjects: “Why is everyone so negative?”

Verónika Banuchi, a Political Science major, responds: “I’m thrilled that el corillo is here to defend the University.”

Photograph by Fran Zayas.

La Vita Gate, 10:30AM–Wednesday, February 22

Close to 100 students braved the scorching island sun and humid weather to show their support for the university at La Vita, one of the busiest gates at UPRM. Among the students, most of whom were wearing green Colegio t-shirts, were several faculty members from the Departments of English and Hispanic Studies. Police presence was palpable; some ten police officers watched over the students on the other side of the road while a cop car blocked one of the lanes heading towards the closed university gates. Passerby drivers honked their horns in solidarity with the students, who responded by waving their handmade signs in the air.

“What plan?” –a question that has been frequently asked these past few weeks in reference to the lack of action of the Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, and his silence regarding the UPR and its fiscal status.

Adrián Vázquez, a UPRM student, hangs out in stilts by La Vita. With an air horn in hand, he honked at cars and waved a Puerto Rican flag.

I had a chance to catch up with Dr. Mary Sefranek, Associate Director of the English Department, who seemed excited and optimistic about the amount of students present at the gate. “It is imperative that we, as faculty, show our support to our students. In this moment of crisis, we cannot accept these budget cuts; specially, as they seek to limit essential services–such as education—to the general population. We cannot continue to accept the privatization of our government.” When asked about her thoughts on the effectiveness of paros or strikes, Dr. Sefranek stated that “paros serve as spaces of representation for sectors of the population that are not being heard by those in power. In this manner, paros seek to catch the administration’s attention and to let them know that we have needs that are not being acknowledged. Now is the time for students and all UPR campuses to make a decision: will they fight for our university?

“Education is the strongest weapon one can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela

Angélica Valdés, a graduate student at the UPRM, firmly believes that “the UPR needs to be a driving force of change in this island. Our university is a thinking hub, where are so used to having intellectual debates in privates spaces, such as classrooms, that we forget that we also need to debate and act out in public spaces, such as in paros and manifestations.” Like Dr. Sefranek, Angélica argues that “the UPR must join the student movements and fight alongside us. However, students cannot rely solely on the administration’s support. Our generation has the time, the space, the strength, and the willpower to represent the working people out in the streets. It is our responsibility as the future of Puerto Rico to generate discussion through public forums, to educate others, to reject the Fiscal Control Board, and to end the oversimplification of our economic issues.” Angélica is also hopeful of the future, which she believes will bring “a new vision of a university reborn.”

Barcelona Gate, 11:00AM–Wednesday February 22

At the Barcelona gate, over fifty gatherers have settled in a circle to discuss intersectional feminism, the scheduled topic of the morning. Among the crowd were current and former students, university employees, and professors, including José Antonio López of the Humanities Department. Professor López, wearing an APRUM t-shirt, arrived at the Barcelona gate early in the morning with clear goals in mind: to support students.

He praised the coordination of the strike, and was impressed by how students organized and led all the activities by themselves. “I thought I would come by like in years past and be able to offer workshops to students,” he explained, referring to the indefinite strike of 2010, “but now, we’re not needed; this belongs to the students. And they’re doing it marvellously well.” However, he had one suggestion: for students to discuss topics more directly related to the cause, like the Fiscal Control Board. “[The topic discussed here] and conversations about equity are great, but students need to discuss the real problem here: the Board.”

Students gathered at the Barcelona gate mid-morning to discuss intersectional feminism and other social justice issues. Photograph by Fran Zayas.

When asked what role professors play in these struggles, his answer was simple: to offer solidarity. Professor López came in representation of the APRUM, or the RUM Professors Association, and he says their commitment to the University and its students is clear. They officially declared themselves against the budget cuts and even donated two buses for students and attendees to travel to the march at the Capitol building in San Juan on Thursday.

Andrea Díaz arrived at the gates at midnight. “I’ve slept only two hours,” she said with a slight laugh. Photograph by Fran Zayas.

Student attendees also had clear reasons for attending the strike. “I’m graduating soon, my credits already have a fixed cost,” explained Andrea Díaz, “I’m here to look out for future generations.”

Alzamora Farm Gate, 11:10AM– Wednesday, February 22

A group of about 20 students gathered underneath the tarp to shield themselves from the sun by the Alzamora Farm gate, as one of the student organizers, first-year Political Science student Santos Cardona, conversed with students about the best methods to employ for successful civil disobedience.  David Rivera Polanco, a delegate for the Agricultural Sciences branch of the Student Council, stated that between the Student Council and UPRM’s Student Movement, they received water bottle and snack donations.  They have occupied the space in front of the gate since 12AM and will remain there until midnight.  

The tent where the civil disobedience taller was held, by the Alzamora Gate.

Cardona, who mentioned being counseled by lawyers about the Do’s and Don’t’s of possible approaches to civil disobedience, advised those who are attending tomorrow’s March at the Capitol building in San Juan to reflect on how the repercussions of their individual actions would affect tomorrow’s protesters as a whole.  

Diego Vega Serrano, a UPRM Economics alumnus, emphasized that “everything you do has an effect on the collective.”  He urged the students to not let emotions go rampant and to, above everything, try to stay within legal bounds, like not inciting violent attacks on police forces and obeying the government-established limits about areas that should not be trespassed.

Diego Vega Serrano, relaying to students about his experiences in manifestations.

One student suggested the idea of protesting in silence at tomorrow’s manifestation.  

Serrano declared that “tomorrow is a demonstration of strength, where, as a collective, we will march in solidarity among the 11 UPR campuses to represent the thousands of students for our mutual cause: the UPR’s quality of education to always remain a priority.”

Cardona, who sported a “11Recintos1UPR” shirt, emphasized that a strike works “as a mobilizing mechanism that helps a group of people work as allies toward a cause.”  He listed that for any event incurring civil disobedience, must include “those who will disobey, observers, legal assistance, and people recording” constantly. Santos Cardona, detailing methods for civil disobedience while sporting his “11Recintos1UPR” shirt.

For effective civil disobedience, according to Cardona, it is imperative to have legal assistance so video-recorded evidence works efficiently toward a cause if, for example, a member of the armed forces committed a violent act against a protester for no reason.  Cardona advised against using Facebook Live, a medium for releasing videos in real-time to the public on Facebook, for social justice motives, because once the tape is released, “you are responsible for it and can be seen as an accomplice for not proceeding with the normalized protocol of contacting police forces.”  Instead, approach video recording in an old-fashioned way to document any infraction against students and record videos, which must be a minimum of 10 seconds long to be considered valid.

Most relevantly, ensure that, if attending tomorrow’s march, you remain safe or strive for your safety first and foremost.

Gates will continue to be closed until midnight, but activities will be vastly different in the evening. There will be live bands, theater performances, and more plenos in preparation for tomorrow’s massive march to the Capitol.

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