Campus Antiwar Network History

        In November of last year, I, like several other students around the country before me, became the target of repression by my university, University of Wisconsin-Madison. The common thread among all these incidents is that all of us had organized or participated in direct action against the presence of the military on our campuses. Some suggested at the time that the investigation against me had nothing to do with the politics of the protest I had helped organize, but that the university administration was merely following procedure. This idea was laid to rest after the associate dean told me in his office that he would charge me with harassment if we did not cease the solidarity campaign being waged on my behalf.

        I mention this because I want to assure everyone interested in the case of Brian Kelly and Lauren Giaccone that this has nothing to do with the “reservation of a university space by an unrecognized organization” and everything to do with a war that is becoming harder to recruit for and near impossible to win. I find it hard to imagine that the Dean of Students of Pace University would, accompanied by an armed escort, personally address the leaders of the Pace University Knitting Club for not having the proper paperwork.

        The actions of Pace University, like those of all the others that have tried to punish antiwar students, have shown that the most dangerous people in society are not those with the power to command armies or nuclear weapons but those of us with the power to tell the truth. I applaud Brian Kelly and Lauren Giaccone for using their
powers to end this unjust war.

solidarity,

Paul Pryse
Campus Antiwar Network
University of Wisconsin-Madison