11 Arrested After Education Cuts Protest Downtown
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Hundreds of protesters took to the streets this morning in an effort to send a message to Gov. Tom Corbett about proposed cuts to public education funding.
However, police had to arrest nearly a dozen of the demonstrators.
The protest centered around Gov. Corbett's proposed cuts in education and they were looking to confront someone from the Governor's Office about it.
Roughly 200 union protesters, clergy and supporters left the Steelworkers Building with one thing on their minds.
"In a word, the cuts and now, more proposed cuts in terms of this budget for this year," Rev. David Thornton said.
The parade of chanting, drum beating and sign holding marchers made their way up the Boulevard of the Allies, through PPG Place rallying against Corbett and what they call an assault on public education.
"The figures he releases – smoke and mirrors. He can't prove any of them. Look at the budgets of district to district to district," Butch Santicola said.
By the time they got to 5th Avenue and Wood Street, they made it clear they were heading into the Governor's Office.
As expected, they were turned away at the door.
"If they don't want to talk to us, if they're not going to send somebody out, we'll just go outside and wait," one man said.
That included blocking the intersection. Police arrived and moved the protesters out.
"At first it was a peaceful march and they were being orderly. Once they got down here, they obstructed the street. They blocked the traffic," Pittsburgh Police Cmdr. George Trosky said. "When they were told to leave, 11 refused to leave. They were taken to the station and cited."
The 11 marchers arrested face obstructing traffic charges meanwhile the majority of the other protesters said they will be back.
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