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.
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."
March, Rally and Direct Action Against Military Recruiters at UCSC on April 22nd
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/21/18494439.php
For a chronological history of some of the more notable SAW demonstrations, state infiltrations and more, check out:
- 4/5/05 — UCSC Students Kick Military Recruiters Off Campus
- 11/18/05 — Rally, Queer Kiss-in Greet Military Recruiters at UCSC
- 12/14/05 — Students Denounce Pentagon Surveillance of Counter-Recruitment Activities
- 1/25/06 — UC Students Demand Answers about Spying Scandal
- 2/1/06 — ACLU of Northern California Seeks Pentagon Files on Peace Groups
- 2/8/06 — UCSC Military Recruitment Debate Reportback
- 4/11/06 — Students Kick Military Recruiters off UC Santa Cruz
- 10/23/06 — Administrative Paranoia Taking Its Toll at UCSC
- 1/9/07 — UC Santa Cruz Administration Sabotages Student-Run Career Event
- 1/15/07 — "Free Speech" Versus the Military
- 1/18/07 — SAW Response to Job Fair Cancellation
- 4/17/07 — With Major Protests Imminent, Military Recruiters Withdraw from UCSC Job Fair
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Crossposted at Indybay.org: Part I & Part II
