Campus Antiwar Network History

Students Kick Military Recruiters Off UC Santa Cruz
Military Prevented from Recruiting for Third Straight Job Fair

http://www.indybay.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=4458&category_id=60

SANTA CRUZ, CA – It’s been over a year and a half since the military has been able to effectively recruit on this UC campus as all their attempts have been met by mass student actions. Today (4/11), in spite of the pouring rain and administrative attempts to stifle students’ free speech, Students Against War (SAW) organized over 150 students to march from the center of campus to the job fair, where they nonviolently prevented access to military recruiters through sit-ins and other measures. After about an hour and a half of negotiations and students’ refusal to back down, military recruiters left the job fair.

The students’ first victory appeared early in the day, as administrators separated military recruiters from other employers, allowing the protesters to block access to the military, while the remainder of the job fair continued. This separation was the only one of SAW’s proposals for protecting free speech to be adopted by administrators, who still banned media from the event.

The successful protest was also significant in light of the fact that University administrators hired, at great cost to the school, a number of police from other UC campuses. These police, local officers, and a top local official, physically assaulted multiple students without provocation and repeatedly refused to provide identification when requested. Students were pushed, punched, choked, and a student’s hand was slammed in a door. One student, acting as a legal observer, was pushed and arrested for documenting police surveillance, but was released after an immediate display of student support. The student may face charges in the future, which SAW intends to vehemently resist. In the face of administrative and police repression the students remained remarkably peaceful.

The action stressed the importance of connecting the complexities of the “War on Terror,” continued military occupations, and government neglect of communities at home. Students also emphasized solidarity with labor struggles, immigrants’ rights, the fight against the privatization of education, and numerous other movements. In order to directly highlight the sexism inherent in the military, a group of female students directly confronted the recruiters. This was a result of consistent student-initiated negotiations with administrators. The action proved to be a key moment, as military recruiters left quickly after the women entered.

In response to the victory, SAW member Sam Aranke responded, “Our demonstration today is a clear example of how tangible success can be when we take strategic actions against the war at a local level. It’s not just about the action today, it’s about creating sustained movements that directly resist the militarization of our communities.”
saw.revolt.org/node/50

Students Against War at UC Santa Cruz is a chapter of the Campus Antiwar Network – http://www.campusantiwar.net

Traprock Homepage
Campus Antiwar Network

On March 27th two separate demonstrations merged in downtown San
Francisco. One was for immigrants rights; the other against the war.

March 27th was the culmination of a week-long hunger strike that had
been taking place in San Francisco’s Federal Building. The hunger
strikers were protesting HR-4437, the anti-immigrant bill that had
sparked massive demonstrations across the country. The hunger strike
ended yesterday with a noon march from the Federal Building to the
downtown office of Senator Diane Fienstien.

March 27th was also the culmination of a twelve day march called the
‘March For Peace.’ Starting in Tiajuana, Mexico and ending in San
Francisco’s Mission District, the March was led by war resisters Pablo
Paredes, Camilo Mejia, Aidan Delgado, and Fernando Suarez del Solar -
father of Jesus, a US soldier killed in Iraq.

http://guerreroazteca.org/

All together about 5,000 people marched in the streets of San
Francisco yesterday, bringing together two seemingly separate issues
into one united march. As was stated at the rally, the “war on terror”
is a war on the poor and a war on immigrants. It is under the guise of
“national security” that the attacks on immigrants are being carried
out. It is under this guise that the border is being militarized and
the poor are being sent to die in the war in Iraq.

Tomorrow at San Francisco State, Students Against War will be holding,
alongside other campus organizations an immigrants rights speakout and
protest. This event was called in response to the College Republicans
decision to hold an anti-immigrant bake sale in the quad.

In Solidarity,
Kristin
SFSU/Campus Antiwar Network

Campus Antiwar Network

FROM PROTEST TO RESISTANCE
Regional Student Antiwar Conferences
Sponsored by the Campus Antiwar Network

http://www.campusantiwar.net/

Recently the US government has stepped up its bombing campaign in Samara to the highest level of intensity since the onset of the war. Even though public support has turned against the war and active resistance has begun in many sectors of the country and in the military, the movement is not at the necessary organizational levels to attain a complete withdrawal of American forces from the Middle East. Meanwhile, large demonstrations are being planned in cities across the country in April. This comes at a time when many politicians, Democrat and Republican, are supporting policies of “re-deployment” or outright military action against Iran.

Students are becoming organized and have been making great strides in fighting recruitment, fostering debate, and demonstrating for civil liberties. At this crucial time in the antiwar movement it is essential that a unified student front emerge to fight campus repression and to end the war. Real strategies for active resistance need to be developed to motivate the overwhelming public support into viable solutions.

Campus Antiwar Network is establishing regional conferences to develop the true student power needed to breakdown the military machine that has relentlessly torn several countries asunder. Workshops will look at concrete steps to end the war. Anyone is welcome to attend and campuses are encouraged to send as many people as they can. With the spirit of grassroots democratic action, we can truly set in motion the catalyst to change.

MIDWEST
Chicago, IL
University of Illinois Chicago
April 22
contact: schwartz2020@gmail.com

NORTHEAST
New York City, NY
April 29 & 30
(to coincide with the April 29 protest in New York City to bring all the troops home now)
contact: monkeywithsoda@hotmail.com

WEST
Students and Educators to Stop the War Conference
San Francisco, CA
Mission High School
April 22
contact: tigger482@gmail.com

SOUTH
location and date to be announced
contact: originalman777@aol.com

For more information, contact the people above or visit:

http://www.campusantiwar.net/

Traprock Homepage

Campus Antiwar Network website

University of MD Student Organize a Week of Action
Monday, 27 March 2006
Three Years of War and Occupation: Three Years Too Long

(March 27, 2006) March 18 marked the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. On that same day in 2003, the U.S. government and its allies actively chose to ignore the massive antiwar demonstrations around the world, including those within Iraq.

Although you wouldn’t know it from reading the pages of The Diamondback, hundreds of this university’s students protested the third anniversary of this brutal war during a number of events organized during the week of March 13. Our Week for Peace was part of a national week of action called by the Campus Antiwar Network (CAN).

Monday started off the week with a silent candlelight vigil to mark the 2,300 soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqis who have lost their lives as a result of the invasion.

On Tuesday, Peace Forum organized a CAN-sponsored educational event titled “Voices of Resistance,” featuring prominent antiwar activists Adam Shapiro and Charles Peterson.

The next day, a panel discussion titled “No Scapegoating: Standing Up to Anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim Bigotry” was sponsored by the International Socialist Organization, Muslim Students’ Association, Organization of Arab Students and Community Roots.

Finally, the Week for Peace ended with Community Roots’ Jam for Peace, a massive antiwar concert including Head-Roc, Immortal Technique and dozens of students who sang, rhymed, played and spoke out against the injustices facing so many people today.

All these activities were aimed at marking the day three years ago when the Bush administration proceeded with an unlawful invasion that will affect our generation for years to come.

And not only are anti-war protestors condemning the occupation but even US-backed Iraqi officials admit that human welfare, poverty, disease, and unemployment, are all worse now than at pre-war levels.

Even United States-backed Iraqi officials admit human welfare, poverty, disease and unemployment are all worse now than the pre-war levels. These numbers do not even include the daily humiliation in the life of an occupied person: the checkpoints, the midnight raids, the random detentions and profiling — and all for what end? For the weapons of mass destruction that never surfaced? For the so-called democracy that has only brought endless destruction and fear of death?

Perhaps most damning to the U.S. image (besides the brutal torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib) is the recent report issued by Amnesty International. The report found the United States and its allies are holding 14,000 Iraqis in prisons, the majority without any charges or trials.

As quoted in a March 6 article from The New York Times: “Among other methods, victims have been subjected to electric shocks or have been beaten with plastic cable … Iraqi authorities are systematically violating the rights of detainees in breach of guarantees contained both in Iraqi legislation and in international law and standards.”

This abuse explains why 87 percent of Iraqis want the United States out of their country, while 47 percent actually support attacks against U.S. forces. Even for troops that return home safely, life is never the same. According to a survey of more than 222,000 Iraq war veterans in the February issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than a third of veterans sought psychological counseling upon returning from Iraq.

More recently, a Zogby International poll found 72 percent of U.S. troops in Iraq support withdrawal within a year, including 29 percent who favored immediate pullout. In addition, a majority of Americans have now rejected the war, with Bush’s approval rating standing at 39 percent.

But this sentiment has not yet translated into a large, visible antiwar movement that unapologetically calls for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. The Week for Peace was aimed at being a small contribution to the creation of such a movement.

March 18 signified the day that the United States began an occupation of a people already ravaged by harsh economic sanctions — the first day that antiwar protesters said “No!” to an illegal war that now lacks the support of the majority of military troops, Iraqis, American citizens and the rest of the world, a $300 billion war that began on the basis of a lie.

Article by:

Shane Dillingham2004 Alum, Co-founder, Peace Forum

Rayyan Ghuma Government and Politics, Class of 2009, Treasurer, Peace Forum

Report on University of Northern Iowa Students for Social Justice Troops out Now week of action

On Thursday, March 23, Students from the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls High School, Waterloo West High, and Hawkeye Community College joined Professors, UNI Faculty, Veterans, Alumni, and community members in taking a strong stand for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Thursdays event capped off a week of action organized by the UNI Students for Social Justice (UNI SSJ) in conjunction with the Campus Antiwar Network (CAN). CAN organized successful antiwar events at campuses across the nation surrounding the Third Anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

The University of Northern Iowa Students for Social Justice successfully reinvigorated the anti-war movement at UNI. Approximately 150 People attended and listened to our speech and joined in our chanting at our rally which was held at 1:30pm outside the Maucker Union. After the rally many members of the crowd joined us for a march down University Avenue. Thursdays event was the largest antiwar demonstration held at UNI since the last walkout organized by the UNI SSJ just after the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003.

Lots of new contacts with dedicated antiwar students were made at Thursdays demonstration, many of whom are excited about the SSJ’s upcoming bus trip to a national march against the war on April 29, in NY, NY.

Students worked very hard to pull off the week of action at UNI which started with a die-in on Monday March 20th that was shut down by UNI public safety and resulted in three students being escorted outside the Union for attempting to and giving speeches about the week of action. Ashleigh Ford along with Sarah Piepenburg were escorted out of the Maucker Union just before they could read a statement to students at the Union just as participating members collapsed to the floor as a part of the die-in. Co-president of the UNI SSJ and CAN Coordinating Committee member Chris Schwartz then stood on top of a chair and read the statement out loud. Schwartz was pulled off the chair as he read the statement and lead the Union in a chant of “Stop This War!”, as he was escorted out of the student Union.

Student have been informed that they are not allowed to give speeches inside the Maucker Union or distribute material to patrons of the Union.

On Tuesday March 21, students took their message to UNI’s ROTC, pointing out that the ROTC programs obligation to the Military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” is in direct violation of the Universities Policies and Procedures 13:02 “Anti Discrimination Policy” which calls for the equal opportunity and treatment for all at UNI despite their sexual orientation.

On Wednesday March 22, the UNI SSJ organized an all-day teach-in that included presentations from students, Shane Callahan, Alex Ludwig, and Chris Schwartz, professors Christopher Mullins, Kent Sandstrom, and Ronnie Roberts also gave presentations and Wednesdays teach-in.

Other actions during the week of action included the distribution of a a special “Troops out now” edition of The Legacy, UNI’s student run peace & justice newspaper.

Many students put in lots of overtime preparing for the Troops out Now week of action. New organizing methods were successfully employed including the use of the online university community facebook.com. The UNI SSJ will now move forward having greatly strengthened our already strong antiwar student base. We will continue to mobilize and provide venues fro all students against the Iraq War to stand an be counted.

Contact:

Chris Schwartz

Co-president of the UNI Students for Social Justice

Coordinating Committee member of the Campus Anti-War Network (CAN)

www.campusantiwar.net

President of Cedar Valley United for Peace & Justice

www.cedarvalleypeace.org

Publisher of The Legacy

Editor and Chief of College Not Combat

Traprock Homepage

March 24, 2006

First, I must to apologize for getting this letter out so late, after having our disciplinary hearing with the Dean of Students (Pace University) Friday afternoon, Lauren had to begin packing for a relief trip to New Orleans and we were both stuck trying to make sense of the outcome. I have spent most of my spring break trying to digest the hearing, the student handbook, and the events of the past several weeks.

The hearing was shrouded with the same methods of intimidation and deception that Pace has been using against us the last few weeks. We entered Dean O’Grady’s office with one of our attorneys, Gideon Oliver, and then the Dean informed us we would have two separate hearings. Lauren and I were forced to sit next to the University Attorney. Lauren and I elected to pursue an “informal resolution” as outlined in Pace University’s student handbook. While this waived our right to appeal, the Dean agreed to drop the expulsion charges against us in return for meeting with the Dean to discuss “university policies and guiding principles of conduct.” Before the university agreed to these terms however, the Dean attempted to make Lauren sign a statement waiving her right to appeal the decision of resolution, and leaving blank the punishment section, which would have enabled the Dean to take any action, up to expulsion without the ability to appeal the decision. The hearings were conducted very paternalistically, in keeping with the total control over university affairs that they are accustomed to and in clear retaliation for the protest at the Clinton event.

The good news is that the University has backed off its threat of expulsion for “incidents” we allegedly participated in leading up to the date of the hearing. This was not surprising, as the University did not have its facts straight, and the “charges” were all related to first amendment issues. This is not even mentioning the pressure exerted by students, professors, and the anti-war community on University officials since Lauren and I received the written threat of expulsion.

The bad news is that Pace has reaffirmed their ban on student freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. Pace believes that students need permission to attempt to do any organizing on campus. We were charged with violating three rules, one of them little more than two-years old (only approved flyers can be posted on campus), and none of them enforced for right-wing groups or fraternities/sororities (meeting informally in the student union, holding peaceful protests, and flyering).

While the threat of expulsion was temporarily removed from the table, the university has promised to seek harsher punishments (though I have trouble finding something harsher than the threat of expulsion) should either of us continue to organize on campus in violation of their draconian bureaucratic procedures.

Since I called Clinton a war criminal when he came to my school, the university had been constantly harassing us. The level of security was increased on campus in the previous two weeks, including an increased presence of top-level Pace security officials, patrols by University Deans, and monitoring of all student activities. When we attempted to table for our two student groups, after being authorized by Student Activities, our organizers were harassed by several Campus Security officials, Student Activities, and patrolling university officials. On Monday, March 13, during our press conference on the steps of City Hall (New York City), three heads of Campus Security left the campus and followed us to monitor our activities and press conference.

I thank everyone who signed our petition (and a huge thank you to Elizabeth Wrigley-Field for creating the online petition). The university has been actively monitoring the Campus Antiwar Network’s national website and Pace chapter of Students for a Democratic Society’s website. The petition and letters of support clearly played a huge role.

I am eternally grateful to all of the activists and public figure of peace and justice that wrote letters of support to our university on our behalf. We could not have fought our expulsion without the tremendous help of the national Campus Antiwar Network who helped stage a national call-in during our protest, and Traprock Peace Center’s Charlie Jenks who worked tirelessly on Traprock Peace Center’s blog against repression at Pace.

The national call-in also had a huge effect on the Dean of Student’s office and the President’s office. When I attempted to make my appointment for my hearing it took almost two hours before I could get my call through (instead of answering the telephone during normal office hours, they were allowing it to go through to voicemail). The Dean and top university officials also had several “emergency meetings” including the day of the call-in and the day of our rally.

I would like to publicly state that I shall continue to refuse to follow any rule or regulation that abridges my constitutional rights and liberties. I will not be intimidated by the Dean of Students, student activities or Campus Security officials. My struggle will continue until the University’s unconstitutional ban on student activism is overturned and students are allowed to organize, operate free press, and meet freely on campus.

If the university’s repression has reaffirmed anything in my mind is it that battles are won through direct struggle and unified efforts of a strong, grassroots, and democratic anti-war and progressive movement. Those that control society divide us and repress us because they know we have the truth on our side. It is their fear of that truth that is our greatest strength. We must remain united against repression and continue to seek common ground in our struggle to end the war on Iraq, and prevent future atrocities of the American-led, corporately funded war machine.

Thank you for your continued support in the fight for free expression and student activism. We will have updates soon on the coming battle to change the university’s policies on student activism.

College Not Combat! Relief Not War! Education Not Occupation! Troops Out Now!

In Solidarity and Struggle,

Brian Kelly
Pace Chapter of the Campus Antiwar Network
Students for a Democratic Society

Report on first day of UNI Students for Social Justice week of action

In coordination with the Campus Anti-war Network (CAN) the University of Northern Iowa Students for Social Justice have launched their week of action calling for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S Troops from Iraq. Today’s event was a die-in held in the Maucker Student Union. About 22 students and faculty members dressed in black participated in today’s die-in. The plans were however interrupted went public Safety prevented SSJ member Ashleigh Ford from reading our statement over our bullhorn. Ashleigh was escorted outside the UNI by a member of UNI’s public safety.

Chris Schwartz, president of the UNI Students for Social Justice and CAN Coordinating Committee member then stood on top of a chair and read the Statement out loud while being pulled off the chair by a member of UNI Public Safety, Schwartz lead the students in the Union in a chant of “Stop the war!” “Stop the war!” as he was escorted out of the student Union by Public Safety.

The students and faculty then march to the commons area of the Schindler Education Center where Ashleigh Ford was able to read the statement out loud while others passed out information about the rest of this weeks actions. The students and faculty then marched back to the Student Union where we stood outside and read our statement again and passed out over 1,000 advertisements for the rest of this weeks actions.

Today’s events resulted in no arrest.

Listed below is all the information about the rest of events for the UNI SSJ Troops Out Now Week of Action.

Tuesday March 21st-ROTC off UNI! Pickett at 12:15pm outside the ROTC office (West Gym)

Stand with the UNI SSJ as we call for the removal of the ROTC program at UNI. UNI ROTC represents the militarization of our campus at a time when UNI should serve as an advocate against the use of violence in our world. The UNI ROTC is also in direct violation of UNI’s anti-discrimination policy towards gays and lesbians. UNI can no longer be subjected to the bigoted policy of “Don’t ask Don’t Tell”.

Wednesday March 22nd-All Day Teach-in on the Iraq War
Maucker Union Ballroom B

11am – “The Problems of the Militarization Complex”
Shane Callahan, co-president of the UNI SSJ will talk about the danger of the growing militarization of our world.

12pm-”The Case for Immediate Withdrawal, What you Can do to End The Iraq War”
Chris Schwartz, Co-President of the UNI SSJ, President of CVUFPJ, Publisher of The Legacy, Editor and Chief of College not Combat, and Coordinating Committee member for the Campus Anti-War Network. will present the case for immediate withdrawal from Iraq and offer insight into anti-war activism happening all over the world. There will also be a discussion and information about local anti-war efforts.

1Pm-Hurricane Katrina, Criminal Neglect and the U.S Government
Alex Ludwig, Co-President of the UNI SSJ will discuss the absolute failure of government in the preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina. Ludwig will discuss how six months later the victims of Hurricane Katrina there are still suffering injustice and the hands of our criminal and incompetent government. Ludwig will lay out the relationship between militarization, racism, poverty and their respective relationship to the negligence of the United States government. ..

2pm Critique of the “war on terrorism”
Join Christopher W. Mullins, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Criminology as he presents from a criminology point of view that war and mass military action is an utterly wrongheaded way to police and control these types of crimes. Dr. Mullins will refute the administration’s linkage of the Iraq war to terrorism control and discuss how the military is policing terrorism in Iraq is a catalyst not a deterrent.

3pm-TBA Emeritus Professor of Sociology Dr. Ronnie Roberts

Thursday March 23rd-Campus-Wide Walkout 1:30pm
Rally outside the Maucker Union! (immediately following the walkout)
March down University Avenue!

At 1:30pm on Thursday the 23rd of March the UNI SSJ are calling on every person of conscious at UNI and in the greater Cedar Valley to drop what they are doing and join us as we take action against the war in Iraq. There will be a rally held outside the Maucker Union in the heart of UNI’s campus. The rally will include speakers and information covering such issues as: the human and financial cost of the war, racism, militarization, and Hurricane Katrina.

Following the Rally we will march down University Avenue and make our demand: immediate withdrawal from Iraq known to the entire Cedar Valley.

Contact:

Chris Schwartz
Co-president of the UNI Students for Social Justice
Coordinating Committee member of the Campus Anti-War Network (CAN)
www.campusantiwar.net
President of Cedar Valley United for Peace & Justice
www.cedarvalleypeace.org
Publisher of The Legacy
Editor and Chief of College Not Combat
schwartz2020@gmail.com

Hear March 15 interview by Deepa Fernandes of WBAI (NY) of Christopher T. Cory, Head of Public Information at Pace University, and student protesters Lauren Giaconne and Brian Kelly. 12:43 minute clip; 64 kbps mono mp3. From http://archive.wbai.org/files/mp3/060315_060003wuc.MP3

Students Protest University President David Caputo’s State of the University Address

Brian Kelly | Tuesday, March 14, 2006 | Pace University, New York City Campus

On Monday, March 13, a large group of students from the Campus Antiwar Network (CAN), and the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) were joined by university students, professors, original SDS’ers, and CAN members who faced repression at CCNY. They launched one of the largest protests Pace University’s campus had seen. The university, which is not accustomed to being challenged, let alone having to deal with large protests, was not prepared for the event.

The students gave the Real State of the University: infringement of civil liberties; union-busting of the adjunct professors’, cafeteria workers’, and transportation workers’ unions; and a university deficit of $3.2 million. All this is occurring while Pace is “celebrating” its 100th year anniversary of the university.

CAN and SDS gave a press conference on the steps of City Hall (NYC) in which they addressed campus repression at Pace of both students and workers. They talked about the battle the university was waging against them as a result of their protest at Bill Clinton’s address to Pace’s Pleasantville campus. Three top members of Pace University’s security office left the university and followed the students through the streets to City Hall and watched the press conference. The activists then marched across the street chanting a call and response of: “FREE SPEECH!, FREE SPEECH!”

As the protest began, one of the NYPD inspectors targeted the two students who heckled Clinton and pulled them aside. They were asked whether or not they intended to “burn down the building” or go inside. The students stated that they were offended that the inspector was asking them these questions and they returned to the protest. Surrounded on their south side by about a dozen police officers on motorcycles, and on the university side by several Pace Security officers, the protesters loudly demanded that the university hear their call to “Drop all Charges and Support Free Speech on Campus.”

The students held a speak-out with members from the Campus Antiwar Network and Students for a Democratic Society, where they cited their demands, and read out letters of support from Cindy Sheehan and other leading anti-war and free speech activists. These activists had written to President Caputo asking him to drop all charges against Brian Kelly and Lauren Giaccone. The group mixed in free speech, anti-war, democracy, and pro-union chants during the speak-out. Between the protestors and their audiences, over 80 people attended the protest by joining it, watching from the steps of the University, or offering statements of support.

The protestors then spoke out on a bullhorn for about 15 minutes before they were stopped by the New York Police Department. Police claimed it was a violation of city code to speak using amplified sound. The students agreed to put the bullhorn away in the interests of protecting all the supporters there, but only after they read the First Amendment of the United States and the ruling in the Supreme Court case Saia v. New York. The Court stated in the Saia case that amplified sounded was protected by the first amendment and is the way by which the people are reached.

Democracy Now! interviewed the activists afterwards about the day’s events. Amy Goodman covered the event during her daily broadcast on Tuesday (around minute 10 of her broadcast). (See transcript of report below.) Reporters from Democracy Now!, Channel 9, the Pace press and the Indypendent were present.

Police and campus security weren’t the only authorities present. A white Department of Homeland Security car drove by, pausing and then speeding away back onto the Brooklyn Bridge as activists attempted to photograph it. When a Pentagon database was released listing events the government had spied on, many Campus Antiwar Network rallies and counter-recruitment protests were on the list. The government is making it clear: if you are against the war or step out of what we define as acceptable free speech, We Are Watching you.

As the protest neared its end, several activists decided to enter the university and question President Caputo during a question and answer session. Not surprisingly they were met with resistance from campus security who said they would have them removed on “disorderly conduct charges” after one activist put a free speech sign up to the glass of the window where Caputo was speaking. After finally being let in, Caputo swiftly ended the question and answer session. As he was leaving he was confronted by students who inquired about the repression of free speech on campus and the threatened expulsion of the two CAN and SDS activists. Caputo agreed to meet with the group after spring break.

The battle is not over. Pace Students plan to continue their fight until students are allowed to fully express themselves freely, as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States, and until Pace University amends its unconstitutional polices that prohibits free speech and free assembly. They call on President Caputo to drop all charges against the student activists threatened with expulsion, and to amend Pace’s policies that prevent students from organising and workers from unionising.

Brian Kelly is the president of Pace University’s Campus Antiwar Network and a member of the Students for a Democratic Society and the Green Party. He is one of the activists currently being threatened with expulsion for his efforts to organise against the war and in support of unions on campus. You can reach him at Kelly@leftist.ws.

For more information please visit www.campusantiwar.net, www.traprockpeace.org/pace_repression, or www.newsds.org/pace

How you can help:
Sign our online petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/paceuniv/

Contact Pace University and Tell Them What You Think:
Pace University President’s Office:
David A. Caputo, President
212-346-1097
president@pace.edu and d.caputo@pace.edu
Pace University Dean for Student’s Office:
Dr. Marijo Russell O’Grady, Dean for Students
212-346-1306 or 212-346-1307
mrussellogrady@pace.edu
Pace University Hotline:
1-866-PAC-E001 (1-866-722-3001)

Democracy Now! report – March 14, 2006

Pace University Students Face Expulsion Over Protest
The Campus Antiwar Network is calling on supporters to phone New York’s Pace University today in order to request charges be dropped against two student activists. The students, Brian Kelly and Lauren Giaccone, say the university is threatening to expel them for distributing flyers and for protesting without a permit. The charges were filed after the two students called Bill Clinton a “war criminal” during his speech at the school last week. After being removed from the speech, the students said they were detained, searched and questioned by law enforcement and Secret Service agents.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/13/1429225

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Wesley Hannah rwh29@cornell.edu

Students Across America Protest on Third Anniversary of the War
3/13/06-3/18/06

From March 13th to March 18th, students across the nation will join together in coordinated demonstrations in protest of the Iraq war. As an action called for by the Campus Anti-war Network (CAN), dozens of high schools and colleges in all regions of the country will spend the next week in local demonstrations, discussions, marches, and rallies. Three years after the invasion of Iraq, students continue to actively fight for immediate withdrawal from the Middle East and for money to be spent on education, not occupation. The week culminates in the Global Days of Protest, March 18th-19th, where American students join millions around the world in solidarity in a call to end illegal invasion and continued occupation.

From Bennington, VT to Georgia State to San Francisco State, and everywhere in between, students are on the frontline along with other peace activists in calling for an immediate withdrawal and cessation of foreign wars of aggression. Those schools on break for the week will join their peers in solidarity with actions on the following Monday, March 20th. Cornell University student Bryn Roshong, ’08, an active participant in Cornell for Peace and Justice, a CAN affiliate, expressed frustration with the deception of the American people that “Bush claims we’re needed there, but the vast majority of Iraqis want us out! Meanwhile, we are building permanent bases there for our troops and spending more money on fortifications than on the supposed rebuilding of a land the war has destroyed.”

As now a majority of Americans call for withdrawal from Iraq, these protests signal rising resentment within the nation for an unjustified war that has killed of over 2,300 Americans and well over 100,000 Iraqi citizens, and destroyed homes and lives of countless more. Additionally, as president Bush diverts billions of dollars to war, Americans are seeing funding for education and social services drying up as the national deficit is skyrocketing. Abroad, foreign nations nearly unanimously call for withdrawal as the situation in Iraq spins out of control for US troops.

The Campus Anti-War Network began before the invasion of Iraq as a democratic grassroots network of students opposed to foreign wars of aggression and the presence of the military in US schools. It works to aid students in developing anti-war movements and to exchange ideas in order to create a vast national movement. Recently, the coalition has succeeded in barring military recruiters from Seattle Central Community College, City College of New York, San Francisco State University, Southern Connecticut State University, University of Illinois in Chicago, and others.
Endorsers of this week of action include AfterDowningStreet, Bay Area United Against War, Gold Star Families for Peace, Not In Our Name, Progressive Democrats of America, San Juan Peace Network, Stop the War Coalition (U.K.), Texans for Peace, The (California) Peace and Freedom Party, The Peace Majority Report, Traprock Peace Center, and the Washington Peace Center of Washington DC, as well as author Anthony Arnove, war resister Camilo Mejia, peace activist Cindy Sheehan, Kathy Kelly, author Howard Zinn, and Todd Chretien, candidate for US Senate from California.

For more information, see http://www.campusantiwar.net/

See full list of endorsers below.