An estimated 5,000 students and faculty yesterday gathered at University of California Berkeley campus to demonstrate against the university’s handling of recent budget cuts to California’s education system.

The protest, said to be the largest student rally in California since the 1960’s Free Speech Movement lasted around two hours. Students and faculty (many who cancelled or re-arranged lectures to join the demonstrations) paraded with placards, chanting in response to recent job cuts in the universities technical department, and plans to increase tuition fees by an additional 30%.

Online, Facebook and Twitter protests were also happening, with over 1,000 faculty members signing an online petition to reduce budget cuts.

The budget cuts proposed by State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and university officials are a response to the states multi-billion dollar budget crisis. $813 million has been reduced from the University of California’s budget for the 2009-2010 academic year.