Two faculty members and one CFA staffer were among 26 people arrested during civil disobedience actions at a budget protest at the State Capitol May 12.

Professors Theresa Montaño (Chicano Studies, CSU Northridge) and José Cintrón (Bilingual/Multicultural Education, Sacramento State), along with Northern California Organizing Director Larry Hendel, were taken into custody after refusing to leave the Capitol when directed to go by law enforcement officials.

The educators had positioned themselves outside the offices of Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton and Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway, saying they would not leave until the GOP lawmakers stop blocking temporary tax extensions and support a budget that avoids $4.1 billion in cuts to schools.

The arrests were part of an escalation of concerted activities undertaken all week by thousands of K-12 and higher education supporters.

Following their release the educators released these remarks:

“Today we took a stand for the millions of California students who are being robbed of their future. We refused to step aside while California’s public schools and colleges go without the vital resources they need. Our schools and colleges have been cut $20 billion in the past three years, and without action by California lawmakers, will endure another $4.1 billion in cuts next year. Enough is enough. Our students deserve better and our state can do better.

“We are not willing to sit idle while a handful of Republican lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly refuse to face the realities happening in the classrooms and communities across California. So a few CFA members decided to visit two of them today to let them know that we are in a state of emergency and it’s time they started acting like it.”

Read more about the arrests and weeklong protest at: http://castateofemergency.com/