Of course, the celebration wast the whole point of the protest. Naturally, some of the student protesters think college should be ‘free’ for everyone.

Jonathan Adams of Open Media Boston reported.

Student Debt “Celebrated” Outside the Dept. of Education

BOSTON/Financial District – The Campaign for a Debt-Free Future hit out at the growing levels of student debt in a rally outside the US Department of Education (DOE) in Boston on Friday.

In a birthday-themed demonstration, around 50 participants ‘celebrated’ the second anniversary since student debt topped $1trn nationwide, and called on the DOE to alleviate the unsustainable situation faced by current and future students.

Gillian Mason, an organizer with the Massachusetts Jobs with Justice-run campaign, spoke out at the rally saying, “I grew up a block off the highway in suburban New jersey, a working class community, and they told me that if I worked hard enough, I would go to college … I could get out of the town where I lived, and I could end up living a better life.

“They told me that college loan debt was ‘good debt’ … because it’s going to make your life so much better in the end … it’s put me in default; at this point I’ve been engaged for four years, and I can’t get married, because I’d drive my partners credit rating down so far that he’ll never get an apartment; this is a terrible situation, and I’m really just the tip of the iceberg,” Mason continues.

She outlined the demands of the campaign, which include increasing funding for Pell Grants, the promotion of information relating to the availability of all debt-repayment options, and financial transparency in regard to banks, while also outlining the campaign’s view that education is a “right” and should be “free” for all.

“Education is a public good,” says Mason, “it is not a private enterprise where you should be trying to profit off of students.”