Community college students from across California marched by the thousands to the Capitol on Monday to denounce Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger - arguably among the most celebrated alumni of the state's two-year schools - and his bid to raise their fees.

Many of them said they couldn't understand how "the people's governor," a man they voted for and who had been to community college himself, could support fee increases.

"It feels like betrayal by one of our own," said Patrick Tuminaro, a 26-year-old student at Antelope Valley College who voted for Schwarzenegger and worked on his campaign to oust Gov. Gray Davis in October's recall. "He should understand that the average community college student is struggling to pay the fees now.

"Many of us voted for him, but we are not happy with him now."

The protesters came by bus, car and plane, traveling overnight to represent many of the state's 109 community college campuses. Many of them, decked out in anti-Schwarzenegger T-shirts, toted signs on a two-mile march from Raley Field in West Sacramento to the west steps of the Capitol, and rallied for more than two hours in the midday sun.

Some were recent high school graduates planning to transfer to a four-year university, others middle-aged parents going back to school after 20 years.

They took up the chant of "We want Arnold," knowing full well the governor was not in Sacramento. His press office said he was in Los Angeles meeting with Sergio Vento, the Italian ambassador to the United States. Though legislators will make the final decision on fees, students aimed their outrage at the governor.

"I understand he's in a big dilemma with the budget, but I didn't cause the problem and neither did anyone else here," said Stacey Lopez, a 39-year-old child development student at San Bernardino Valley College. "If our fees go up and people drop out, it's going to be on him."

California's community colleges, which serve 2.9 million students, are more vulnerable to the budget whims of politicians than the four-year University of California and California State University systems, which serve a quarter the number of students.

Schwarzenegger, an immigrant from Austria, attended Santa Monica College and often credits his community college education as crucial to his success as a bodybuilder, movie star and politician.

The governor - who is seeking to broker a deal with lawmakers to close a $16 billion budget shortfall next fiscal year without raising taxes - is asking the Legislature to raise fees for community colleges to $26 per unit from $18, a 44 percent increase. An associate degree requires completion of 60 units.

"The governor is a strong believer in the community college system," said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the state Finance Department. "Even in the midst of this budget crisis where he has proposed cuts in most areas, this is one area where he is seeking to supplement funding."

Schwarzenegger's budget writers have proposed to beef up community college spending over last year's levels, but also are asking students to bear more of the cost. Raising fees to $26, they argue, will allow more students to qualify for financial aid, primarily federal Pell Grants. Right now, 400,000 students qualify for state fee waivers because they are poor.

Last year, fees jumped from $11 to $18, the first increase community college students had seen in several years. At $26 a unit, California's junior colleges will still be the cheapest in the nation - a point that consoles very few students.

"It's just too much, after what happened last year," said Peter Garcia, a 32-year-old Merced College student. "At that price, it's going to take me twice as long to finish what I need to transfer to (University of California). And there's a lot of people who will just have to leave."

Community college officials believe they already have lost 175,000 students since last year's fee hikes and spending cuts. That number includes students who never enrolled, but were expected to based on population growth projections.

Those "missing students" were at the head of Monday's march, represented by 120 vibrantly decorated statues that students pushed on rolling platforms.

Monday's march was meant to be even more boisterous than last spring's when more than 10,000 students showed up to protest Davis' budget proposals for community colleges.

Organizers hoped to match or surpass last year's turnout and estimated Monday that 8,000 to 10,000 participated. California Highway Patrol officials in charge of security said the number was "significantly" smaller, probably closer to 4,000 to 5,000.

A long list of Democratic lawmakers and statewide elected officials - Treasurer Phil Angelides and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante among them - used their moment before the students to condemn the governor's proposal and called on him to raise taxes on the wealthy instead.

CHP officials reported no incidents or arrests among the lively crowd, but they confiscated large flagpoles from students marching with the De Anza College contingent. The poles violated a state law prohibiting large objects from being used on Capitol grounds during rallies, said CHP Officer David Brunelle.

Mark Drummond, statewide chancellor of the community colleges since January, marched with students but kept a low profile.

"This is the time for the students to be heard," Drummond said. "People need to see this. If politicians don't want to face California's future - and that's what these students are - then that's a problem."