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DEFEND FREE SPEECH RIGHTS AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE<br>
UNIVERSITY (SFSU)!<br>
On Wednesday, March 9th, students from New York to San<br>
Francisco rallied to protest military recruiters on<br>
their campuses. The students were expressing their<br>
outrage at the military's anti-gay "don't ask, don't<br>
tell" policy, the diversion of federal funding away<br>
from education into military spending, and the war in<br>
Iraq. University administrations in both cities<br>
responded with disciplinary threats and police action.<br><br>
At SFSU over 150 students joined Students Against War<br>
-- the school's Campus Antiwar Network chapter -- and<br>
other groups to protest Air Force recruiters and Army<br>
Corps of Engineers attending a school sponsored career<br>
fair. The crowd flooded the fair, surrounding their<br>
tables and chanting. When Air Force recruiters tried<br>
to wait out the protest, students staged a peaceful<br>
anti-war sit-in and teach-in.<br><br>
POLICE INTIMIDATION AND UNIVERSITY THREATS<br>
The following day, recruiters returned to the SFSU<br>
career fair. As soon as two activists entered the<br>
career fair, eight police officers forcibly removed<br>
them from their own student center, pushing them and<br>
twisting one activist's arm. When the other activist<br>
asked why she was being forced to leave, she was<br>
pushed into a doorway, told she was causing a fire<br>
hazard by standing there, and then kicked out of the<br>
building.<br><br>
An SFSU spokesperson informed reporters that student<br>
groups involved in the protest will be suspended, and<br>
that some of the individual students who participated<br>
will also face disciplinary action. Such actions would<br>
be blatant violations of students' right to free<br>
speech and assembly.<br><br>
Sean O'Neill, a veteran who returned from Iraq last<br>
year after serving with the Marines, spoke out in<br>
defense of the students who helped organize the<br>
counter-recruitment protest, saying, "Do students have<br>
the right to protest? Of course they do! Are you<br>
saying that people can't protest anything now? Anyone<br>
who's taken even a cursory glance at the Constitution<br>
will tell you that we have the right to protest<br>
whatever we want...As a vet, I don't take any offense!<br>
Anyone who doesn't want me over there is a friend in<br>
my book."<br><br>
WHAT YOU CAN DO<br>
We ask the public to speak-out against the<br>
administration's plans to limit free speech rights,<br>
and demand that no sanctions be placed on students or<br>
organizations that helped to plan the March 9th<br>
protest. Please contact:<br><br>
Robert A. Corrigan, SFSU President<br>
Phone: (415) 338-1381, Fax: (415) 338-6210<br>
Email: corrigan@sfsu.edu<br>
please CC your email to: cansfsu@hotmail.com<br><br>
Penny Saffold, SFSU Vice President/Dean of Students<br>
Phone: (415) 338-2032, Fax: (415) 338-0900<br>
Email: psaffold@sfsu.edu<br>
please CC your email to: cansfsu@hotmail.com<br><br>
For more information please contact:<br>
wcaudy@stars.sfsu.edu<br><br>
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