Traprock Peace Center www.traprockpeace.org Kent State Antiwar Coalition News Conference on its Victory over Campus Repression November 16, 2005 Photos © 2005 Eric Ruder; all rights reserved.

November 16, 2005, Kent State University, Ohio: The Kent State Antiwar Committee (KSAWC) announced its victory over campus repression at a news conference at Kent State. The university had been taking David Airhart, a student and veteran of Guantanamo Bay and the Iraq War, to a disciplinary hearing for his having unfurled a peace banner at the top of a rock climbing wall erected on campus by military recruiters on October 29, 2005. At 5:30 PM on November 15th, Airhart learned from his lawyer that the university was cancelling the hearing set for the 16th. (Charges will be expunged from his record, according to the university, after a mediation meeting.)

Nicole Robinson of KSAWC, a chapter of the Campus Antiwar Network, moderated the news conference. Giving prepared remarks were students Amanda John, David Airhart, David Pittman, and Nicole Robinson. Questions followed. Media covering the news conference included ITN television (UK), the Cleveland Plain Dealer, NPR, through its local affiliate, and Channel 2 TV in Kent. Other national and mass media, including network television, have called for interviews or information.

After the news conference, students gathered for a brief outdoor rally on this cold, blustery afternoon. Students read public statements of support that had been provided by antiwar activists, veterans, professors, writer, students and organizations. Further, over 950 people signed an online petition in support of David Airhart, and hundreds of more signed petitions gathered by students with the Campus Antiwar Network on camupses coast to coast. Speakers noted the national call by the Campus Antiwar Network for counter-recruitment actions on December 6th. All of the public statements of support, along with the transcript of David Airhart's previous talk in Chicago on November 5, 2005, KSAWC's October 29th report, and several media reports are found at http://www.traprockpeace.org/kent_state_students/

After the rally, Nicole Robinson led a tour of the memorials to students slain by National Guard soldiers on May 4, 1970.

Hear the news conference in its entirety, uneditd in mp3 audio format. The audio may be replayed by radio stations and used non-commercially with attribution to the Kent State Antiwar Coalition, a chapter of the Campus Antiwar Network, for their having produced the news conference, and to Traprock Peace Center for recording and publishing the audio. The audio is © 2005 Traprock Peace Center, all rights reserved. Radio stations do not need prior consent to reply the audio, but are required to simply notify Traprock that it is replaying the radio, at charles[at]traprockpeace[dot]org. Websites are asked to link to the radio rather than post it. If a website wishes to mirror the audio on their site, please request authorization from Traprock at charles[at]traprockpeace[dot]org. Photos are provided courtesy of Eric Ruder and are © 2005 Eric Ruder; all rights reserved.

MP3 audio - 36:20 minutes; 64 kbps mono; 16.7 mb for radio airplay and broadband connections.

MP3 audio - 36:20 minutes; 16 kbps mono; 4.2 mb for dial up connections.