Students held demonstrations in several universities in the United States on Thursday to protest high loan payments to pay for courses and in defense of free higher education.
The demonstrations, dubbed Students Million of March, were planned only two days after thousands of fast-food chains workers have taken to the streets in a national day of action to press for payment of a minimum wage of $ 15 per hour and trade union rights in the sector.
About 50 students from the Boston area colleges gathered at Northeastern University carrying signs that said "Diplomas, no receipts" and "This is a school or company?".
"The student debt crisis is terrible. The change begins when people call in the streets, not in the White House," said Elan Axelbank, 20, student of third year at Northeastern, who said he participated in the action of the foundation national.
Photos and videos posted on Twitter, where #MillionStudentMarch tag was trending worldwide, showed demonstrations involving tens to hundreds of protesters in colleges, including the state of Texas, the University of Massachusetts and Depaul University in Chicago.
Several hundred students gathered at historically progressive University Berkeley, California, and posted signs outside a building where classes are held, showing their individual debt load, ranging from just a few thousand dollars to more than 100 000 dollars.
The organizers are demanding free public colleges of higher education, canceling all student debt and a minimum wage of $ 15 per hour for campus workers.
The total volume of debt of the US student loan more than doubled, rising to 1.2 trillion dollars, according to the Financial Consumer Protection Office, the US, compared with less than $ 600 billion in 2006.
Burdened with debts that sometimes can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars, many universities are struggling pay repay the installments in the context of economy and weak employment.
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