Protesters gathered at University of California Berkeley's Sproul Plaza while being offered jugs of water and paper cups as they heated up for the battle to fight budget cuts.

Hundreds of students, parents, faculty and others in support of fighting the cuts gathered around the Sproul Hall Administration building Thursday afternoon. Many of them holding picket signs in rage of UC President Mark G. Yudof and the fee increases.

The UC Board of Regents approved a plan in July that would increase tuition and other fees, as well as making furloughs, leaving many in connection with the UC system furious.

Some students such as 20-year-old Milanca Lopez, are left struggling. Lopez is a single mother and a member of the Student Parent Association for Recruitment and Retention of UC Berkeley.

"They're going to make it impossible for parents to go to school," said Lopez, who also felt that the UC is slowly trying to get rid of minorities.

Although not a student, Michael-David Sasson has been a clerical staff worker for 11 years at UC Berkeley and has not seen this much of an impact on fighting cuts.

Sasson explained that the UC system only receives 19 percent of its budget from the state, which he considered to be a three to four percent cut. Not only are cuts being made to the system, but departments are getting asked to make class cuts of about 20 to 30 percent, said Sasson.

"My job is to move forms around so proposals can be considered for classes that offer lecture, lab, and discussions, but now some of those sections are being destroyed," Sasson said.

While standing and clapping in unison with the amped crowed, 22-year-old grad student and molecular and cell biology major Seychelle Vos, explained how her classes have been heavily impacted due to the cuts.

"Labs are not cleaned anymore, and it is a load on students because students have to now take on the role of our janitors," Vos said.

Throughout the state, other university campuses also participated in the protest. SF State students showed their solidarity while State Sen. Leland Yee made an appearance at University of California, San Francisco.