We in the Bay Guardian newsroom have just received word of an impending zombie attack on City Hall. I repeat: Zombies are planning to attack City Hall this afternoon! [Updated coverage from the scene below]
Oh, wait, it looks like it’s actually going to be City College of San Francisco students and supporters — dressed as zombies and other Halloween creatures — that will be descending on City Hall around 4pm today (Thurs/31). Okay, maybe this isn’t as big a deal as an actual zombie attack, but it’s still newsworthy.
The faux-zombies came to see Mayor Ed Lee to demand that he stop supporting the state takeover of CCSF and that he stand up for local control over this important, low-cost educational institution. The San Francisco-elected college’s board of trustees’ powers were given to Special Trustee Bob Agrella, who was in turn appointed by the California Community College Chancellor Brice Harris.
At the rally Alisa Messer, CCSF’s local faculty union president, called for Lee to push for the board’s reinstatement.
“We’re calling on Mayor Lee to ask the state chancellor to restore democracy at City College,” Messer said, “We want our board restored next year. Not two years from now, not three years from now, next year!”
She also called on the mayor to demand that Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges restore CCSF’s accreditation immediately.
Christine Falvey, the mayor’s spokesperson, wrote in an email to the Guardian that the mayor supports efforts to save CCSF — but only the ones he thinks will work.
“The mayor has said these are difficult times for the college, but that this is the time to commit to true reforms,” she wrote. “The mayor wants to focus his efforts on activities that will ultimately help the college stay open.”
When asked if the mayor supported City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s lawsuit against the ACCJC meant to stop the closure of CCSF, she responded that the lawsuit may “go up and beyond” critical deadlines to save the college. The mayor has so far shown no support for any of the efforts to combat the ACCJC, despite multiple lawsuits against the accreditors as well as condemnation from the U.S. Department of Education of their practices.
The zombie march will began at 3:30pm, at the CCSF Downtown Campus, 750 Eddy Street, and hundreds of protesters arrived at City Hall around 4pm — to see if there’s anyone in City Hall with any brains.
Halloween march to San Francisco city hall “save City College!” today https://t.co/UkPBKk5iCa
— Joe A. W. Fitzgerald (@FitzTheReporter) October 31, 2013