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Christopher Sweeten, center, a third-year ethnic studies student at UC San Diego, protests Thursd

Shortly after students called on university regents to rethink fee increases and address minority enrollment Thursday, many removed their shirts as a symbolic protest.

“We have nothing left to give but the shirts off our backs,” said Christopher Sweeten, a third-year student from UC San Diego.

The University of California Student Association organized the protest and students spent about a minute during the public comment period at the regents’ meeting voicing concerns about financial aid, fee increases, outreach and minority enrollment.

After they had all finished speaking, the students lifted their shirts, a couple to bare backs, and walked out of the meeting room.

But while some of the regents said the student’s protest made a good point, regent Ward Connerly said he was not fazed by the demonstration and the students’ actions have no bearing on his decisions.

“These kind of symbolic things, you laugh at them but you don’t really listen to them,” Connerly said, adding that he was not affected by the protest and that on a scale of one to 10, the demonstration and students’ actions ranked at a negative five.

“One minute per student saying the same thing over and over again has no effect,” Connerly said.

Students often run out of time when addressing regents during the public comment period but are allowed to submit written statements to all of the regents.

Connerly said the regents often never see the written statements.

“It’s just a way to soften the blow that you drove 400 miles to speak a minute,” Connerly said.

By Any Means Necessary, an affirmative action activist group, also demonstrated Wednesday in hopes that Connerly will not be reappointed as a regent when his term ends in March after serving for 12 years.

Connerly is notorious for spearheading numerous anti-affirmative action policies and campaigns within the UC.

“We do not want Ward Connerly reappointed to this body. Twelve years has been too long. Twelve years of promoting segregation has been too long,” said Tania Kappner, a member of the group, referring to what he believes have been the negative effects of the state’s affirmative action ban.

Undergraduate Students Association Council President Allende Palma/Saracho gave a charged lecture to the regents during the public comment period Thursday, telling them they were accountable to students, had failed at their jobs and could use the day for redemption.

“For each of the things that they are discussing today, there is a viable solution that is different from what they are doing,” Palma/Saracho said.

Regent Odessa Johnson said she thought the demonstration made a good point but wasn’t going to change her decision on fee hikes.

“I think it made a statement that the raise of fees will take the shirt off their back,” said Johnson, who nevertheless voted later in the day to increase student fee rates in the overall budget.

Both student regents and Regent George Marcus came outside the meeting to address the protestors. Marcus asked demonstrators to understand that the regents care about students and the decisions regents make are difficult.

Some students felt the gesture was not strong enough.

“It was nice to see that some regents came out to address the students at the rally; however, it was three out of 26,” said Bill Shiebler, a UCSA board member and a student at UC Santa Barbara.

Other protestors said there needs to be more collaboration between regents and students, and that there are not enough open lines of communication for dialogue.

“I feel that there’s a lacking in student input. There was no student input in this process,” said Jenn Pae, president of the Associated Students at UC San Diego. “Ideally, they should have regular contact with the UCSA.”