Protesters Pepper Sprayed at Santa Monica College

Last night at Santa Monica College — where this radio station is located -- about 100 protesters crowded a hallway outside a meeting of the Board of Trustees. Video of the incident has been posted on YouTube by the Corsair, Santa Monica College's newspaper. College President Chui Tsang says that when bystanders overran the door "there was one discharge of pepper spray by a [college] police officer… [and] a number of bystanders were affected." He also said that the incident is being investigated, but that the college will pay the medical bills even of those it feels were breaking the law. No arrests were made, but the protest itself raises the broader issue of declining funds for public education in California.

NOTE: Two days after this discussion, the Santa Monica College trustees agreed to postpone the two-tier fee plan.