Action - Oct 19 - RIT Antiwar Counters Marine Recruiters
RIT Antiwar Counters Marine Recruiters (10/19/05)
October 19, 2005
RIT Anti War Stands Up to Marine Recruiters and Win Again
ROCHESTER, NY- Members of RIT Anti War, the student antiwar group and Campus Antiwar Network chapter at the Rochester Institute of Technology found out that Marine Corps recruiters would be in the Student Alumni Union and once again could not let them be left unchallenged. RIT Anti War reserved space likewise and that morning set up our enormous table full of counter-recruitment, CAN and Anti War literature. The Marines were actually late by three hours, so we took the opportunity to sign up new members and meet professors and faculty who happy to see us there. We also used this as an opportunity to build our “Military Out of Our Schools” meeting the next day.
Only 3-4 students made it to the Marines table and we’re immediately engaged by Anti War activists after leaving. All of which said they “had no plans on joining.” During the afternoon rush our strength grew to 23 activists. We formed a huge line, holding “College Not Combat” and “Troops out Now” banners and signs. The line stretched from our table to the other side of the Union hall. We handed out over 400 pamphlets and signed up around 50 people to join RIT Anti War. Ironically, a fire alarm went off after frustrated campus administrators left the table, so we quickly moved outside to catch everyone walking out of the building, activists held signs high and one even stood next to the group of recruiters holding a sign in the air that read “College Not Combat.” After being effectively blocked from the majority of traffic through the Union the recruiters packed up and left 3 hours early.
This was the second successful counter-recruitment effort at RIT and represents how organizing counter-recruitment actions can effectively challenge any military presence on campuses. Many people joined in on the action as well, once again concretely showing the opportunities of the antiwar movement. Full steam ahead for the CAN counter-recruitment conference in Berkley, eight members will be going.
Kenneth Love
Rochester Institute of Technology Anti War, Organizer
Email: mrklove@hotmail.com