A crowd of more than 500 demonstrators gathered Sunday in front of the fountains of the Bellagio casino resort. They chanted and urged passing motorists to show support by honking vehicle horns.

One sign read "Education Cuts Don’t Heal." Another said, "True Life: My College is Broke."

The protesters were escort by Las Vegas police as they marched less than a mile off the Strip to the Palms hotel-casino, where MTV is filming a college spring break special.

Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposals for deep cuts to close a state budget shortfall have Regents Chairman James Dean Leavitt warning of "cataclysmic" changes to Nevada higher education.