The War Stops Here

by ~Bradley ( bradley [at] riseup.net )
Wednesday Apr 23rd, 2008 3:21 PM

The tradition of students un-welcoming the military to UC Santa Cruz and disrupting their attempts to recruit is alive and well, as demonstrated during the “Career” Fair on April 22nd. Students Against War rallied in the Baytree Plaza and marched to the “Career” Fair held in the multipurpose rooms for Colleges 9/10. Campus police, administrators, faculty, other staff and students collected backpacks and identification cards from the students who entered the “Career” Fair. Colorful helium balloons arched over steel barricades at the entrance to the “Career” Fair featured signs that boldly proclaimed “Part-time Jobs!!!” Indeed, the future is very bleak for the generations growing up during Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr. and whoever comes next.

Outside the “Career” Fair, students demonstrated against military recruitment with banners, flyers, zines, photos from Iraq, theatre of tortured detainees, juggling and more. Meanwhile on the inside, student protestors were dancing, questioning military and FBI recruiters, chanting and otherwise disrupting efforts by the FBI, Army, Marines and Police (Sacramento, San Francisco and UCSC) to spread their information. After three hours of trying to recruit in the midst of a protest, both Army recruiters packed up their glossy propaganda at 2:00pm.

Students Against War assert:

“As students of UC Santa Cruz, we oppose the presence of military recruiters on campus. As an employer that uses predatory and discriminatory practices in recruitment, recruiters directly represent the homophobic, sexist and racist ideologies that have no place in this University. Furthermore, the military’s inhumane treatment of soldiers during and after tours of duty – through, for example, the neglect of the psychological and medical consequences of war – demonstrates that they view troops not as employees, but as property to be used and then discarded. Recruiters offer false promises of education and opportunity in order to manipulate people in to signing away the fundamental rights to which we are all entitled. We will not let our University be a vehicle for a system based on hateful ideologies and manipulation. We will not let our University be a vehicle to perpetuate the unjust war in Iraq.”

Students Against War
http://saw.revolt.org

March, Rally and Direct Action Against Military Recruiters at UCSC on April 22nd
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/21/18494439.php

** FOR MORE PHOTOS and a chronological history of some of the more notable SAW demonstrations, state infiltrations and more, check out:

Students Rally and March Against Military Recruiters at UCSC “Career” Fair
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/23/18494728.php

From Santa Cruz Indymedia