Speakers at the rally opposed Mayor Giuliani's budget cut, announced through an executive order to city agencies requiring that they don't spend 15 percent of this year's budget. The money would remain in the budget but cannot be used for any school activities.

"All two-year colleges are going to be cut and it is going to affect all the minorities that come here," said Hector Pichardo, president of the Dominican Club at BMCC. "This is the first time in two years that the staff and students have come together in a protest like this," he said. "We want this money now!"

"This war is very convenient for the government," said Monica, a 20-year-old freshman at BMCC. "They are attacking us here too!"

"We are here to call on the government to make good on the promise to deliver the $20 billion in aid promised to rebuild the city," said Jane Young, a professor at BMCC, in her opening remarks at the rally. She was referring to the $9 billion the Bush administration has not delivered as part of a "reconstruction package" for the city. "They have money to clean up the mess, but they claim they don't have money to restore all services."

Bill Friedman, of the Professional Staff Congress chapter at BMCC, the union that represents faculty and professional staff at CUNY, said that in addition to the two towers missing, there were also 100,000 missing jobs that have been cut since the attack with no plan for workforce development. "The airlines get bailed out by the government and they turn around and lay off workers," he continued.

After the rally, the crowd marched around the campus, which is located nearby the World Trade Center site, receiving the support of trucks and cars passing by.  
 
 
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