San Jose Students Take in the Terminator
Things Get Rowdy at the Fairmont
Story by Shana White

On Thursday March 24, 2005 I went along with a few of my colleagues to a major protest in front of the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown San Jose.   Arnold Schwarzenegger had come to San Jose to raise $50 million for his plan for California, which would severely cut into the budget for our teachers, nurses and other public employees.    People of all backgrounds who might be affected by his initiatives quickly heard about his arrival and decided make their opinions heard in front of the hotel.

When we got there the streets was full of people. There could have been over 2,000 people there. Nurses, teachers, firefighters, union members, and students in high school and college all showed up in force. But from all of the groups (what Arnold once allied “special interests”, it was the youth who really they had something to say to Arnold.

The crowd was so big that we took up both sides of the streets. There were different people saying some old chants that they do at every rally like, “No justice no Peace!” That's when we decided to come up with some new ones, and asked one of the union members if we can barrow his bull horn.   We got a chance when they crowd got quiet for a second, then shouted “ When I say south bay, you say movement !” and “H ey San Jose what time is it? it's time to get loud, it's time to represent,” and “Hey Arnold what you need to know, you can't do this in San Jo!”

We continued to chant until it had gotten dark. A white limo passed through the crowd and everyone swarmed the limo because they thought Arnold was in there. The limo almost got pushed over, but it was someone else.   When we retreated back to the sidewalks we continued shouting and chanting. Just when things seemed like they were going to die down, some of us decided that we should moved more into the lobby's driveway, because we heard Arnold was in the building.   As soon as we started moving, more and more people also began moving in. Soon we were almost to the door shouting, “If Arnold's in the House Bring him out, bring him out!”   In about five minutes we were at the door getting pushed back by the cops and can you believe the “organizers” of the protest as well. They used so much force that it almost knocked me down. They were telling us to back and that they were they were they organizers not us. We understood that this was a peaceful rally, but what is the whole point of us being there if we cannot voice our demands and have be on the other side of the street?

Some of the organizers told us that Arnold was going to come out on the side service entrance. When they said this we weren't sure to believe them, but we decided to go on faith that they were being honest.

When we got to the other side of the building, we met with some of the high school youth, they told us that they attended a college preparatory school in downtown. We asked them if any of their teachers were with them and they told us that they were here on their own.   When the cops left the door unintended, a group of us decided to run inside to see if we could pay a visit to Arnold.   We went through the door into the hallways and passed the cafeteria and the laundry room. It felt something like jail. We were seen by security. Soon we ended up at a hall with a dead end.   We were escorted out of the building.

We stayed out a little while longer and talk with some of the high school students. They were diverse students, the kind that listens to lil' John and East side boys, ones who you wouldn't think would come out to a rally. Just across from us were we were they were a group of undercovers who were so obviously noticeable. They all wore blue jeans and grey sweaters and hoodies. The youth saw them and began making fun of them saying things like “we see you pigs, bacon!” They just looked at us like if they didn't know we were talking to them.

Even though the rally was attended mainly by older folks who left early, the youth had a fire that made the rally a true rally to begin with. To me it reminded me of what I was when I first started community organizing.

By going to this protest and seeing the youth lets me know that can be some forward progress can be made in San Jose.   Is also inspiring to see their strong energy, stronger then the terminator.