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