Military Avoids Job Fair as Students Protest to “Unplug UCSC from the War Machine!”

UC Santa Cruz's Last Chance Job Fair took place on April 24th, but this year the United States Army and United States Marine Corps were not among the participants. With foreknowledge of students planning a large demonstration against the presence of military recruiters at UCSC, both the Army and Marines withdrew a week before the Job Fair took place. Despite recent attempts by the UCSC administration to repress dissent on campus, Students Against War (SAW) organized unpermitted rallies and a marches on April 24th marking the 4th Job Fair at UCSC in 3 years where the US Military has been prevented from recruiting. This is a major victory for the anti-war movement at UCSC, and creates a precedent for other campuses across the country.

UCSC Students Against War (SAW) organized a protest on April 24th which included breakfast and began as a celebration, but quickly focused back on challenging militarism at UCSC and in the community, such as Lockheed Martin located in Bonny Doon. Jeff Englehart, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), was the first to speak at the rally in the Baytree Plaza which kicked off the actions. Students then marched from the plaza to the next rally point in front of the new Humanities building where the October 18, 2006, protest against the UC Regents took place. From the Humanities building, students marched towards the Social Sciences buildings where another rally was held. Students then marched to the new Engineering building where more speeches were given. Finally, students marched to Kerr Hall for a final rally and memorial for victims of war.

The march and rallies demonstrated the student body’s continued opposition to war and ongoing campaign to untangle the University of California from military-related research, nuclear weapons production, and the other aspects of what might be termed ‘the war machine.’

Read the April 18th press release from UCSC Students Against War:

With Major Protests Imminent, Military Recruiters Withdraw from UCSC Job Fair

Also check out the Santa Cruz IMC feature for past coverage and must-read articles.

* Note, if this were an article for school, I would cite some of these words and ideas to UCSC Students Against War. However, this is not for academia, so I will just invite you to visit the website for UCSC Students Against War, form a posse, publish on indymedia and then kick the military recruiters out of your school too!

** Final note, although the military stayed away from the Job Fair, there were still plenty of institutions present to represent the police states of amerikkka.

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Crossposted at Indybay.org.