The United States Student Association launched a $10,000 funding campaign Tuesday for a “bail fund” that would aid those who get arrested during the organization’s “disruptive” actions. After launching the campaign Tuesday, seven staff and students affiliated with the group were arrested during a Senate Budget Committee hearing Wednesday. Demonstrators chanted “No cuts, no fees, education should be free,” for less than one minute before being led out of the room by Capitol Police.
Despite launching a bail fund campaign the day before the protest, the group says they did not mean to get arrested Wednesday. “We did not plan this action with the intent of getting arrested,” Maxwell Love, the President of the United States Student Association told the Washington Examiner. “Everyone told us it was low-risk, so we did not expect arrests yesterday. There is a possibility the peaceful civil disobedience we want to do next week may mean arrest, but our students think these cuts are so unfathomable that it is worth it.”
The group opposes the House and Senate Budget proposals, which would trim federal spending on student aid programs, such as Pell Grants and subsidized loans.
“We need $10,000 to set up a bail fund for a series of direct actions in March and April,” the fundraising campaign’s webpage says. “We have the money to front for students’ bail when an arrest occurs, but we need a way to recoup the costs.”
$6,000 of the campaign would be for bail money for 15 students, with an extra $3,000 to cover their potential travel costs for court dates. The rest of the money would cover the costs of food, a new megaphone, and other materials, including a fee to the website hosting the campaign.
As of Thursday afternoon, less than one-fifth of the campaign’s goal has been raised. Nineteen people have contributed so far, with one giving $1,000 toward the goal. The United States Student Association hopes to complete the fundraiser by April 16.
The United States Student Association believes that education is a right and should be free for everyone. The group has been in existence since 1947 and claims to have over 1.5 million student members.
