Posted on 02/04/2005 2:22:52 PM PST by Patriot62
A mob of Seattle Central Community College students chased military recruiters off campus last month, after a tense confrontation. Now a student anti-war group is stepping up efforts to keep them out for good.
Students Against War has launched a petition drive aimed at persuading administrators to order a halt to on-campus military recruiting.
The group points to a November ruling by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Philadelphia-based court held that a college opposed to the policy barring gays and lesbians in the armed forces has a First Amendment right to protest by blocking access to military recruiters.
Central students opposed to the war in Iraq have been fighting the presence of military recruiters all year. The group organized a protest to coincide with President Bush's inauguration Jan. 20, but it started sooner than scheduled when several hundred students surrounded two Army recruiters.
The students hurled insults and water bottles, according to witnesses, forcing the recruiters to flee under the protection of campus security officers. There were no reports of injuries.
Administrators initially threatened to take disciplinary action against Students Against War, which denied any responsibility for the incident.
Yesterday, however, officials backed off their demand that the group apologize to the recruiters or be stripped of their affiliation with the college.
Central President Mildred Ollee said she dropped the ultimatum after discovering that members of other student groups were involved in the confrontation.
"I'm not prepared to go on a witch hunt," she said. "We did the best we could do in this, and I believe the students have learned something and we're going to move forward."
Leaders of the anti-war group told a small crowd of students yesterday that they intend to press for the military recruiting ban.
"We do not want the military in our schools asking our friends and family to fight for a war that is wrong," Nicole Thomas said. "We want recruiters out of our schools."
The incident was captured in a newspaper photograph that has made its way into conservative Web blogs. That spurred a wave of e-mails to Central administrators denouncing the conduct of the students.
One of the recruiters involved in the confrontation, Sgt. Jeffrey Due, said he was stunned how quickly things got out of hand. "I was in outright shock that they were protesting me," he said.
Due had been warned about the student walk-out demonstration, but said he didn't expect that kind of trouble. "They were all going by making off-hand comments and saying 'no war.' We just waved at them," Due said. "Five minutes later, there was just a mob of 500 people surrounding the table."
Due said he was hit in the head with newspapers, and water bottles whizzed by, pounding the vending machine and wall behind him.
The flap has energized Central's anti-war effort, sparking the petition drive. The group's goal is to get recruiters off campus "by legal means," said spokesman Gerald Lisi.
He argued that the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy is in conflict with the college's code barring discrimination on campus. While petitions circulate, the group is consulting with attorneys and researching the issue.
But Ollee pointed to a government rule that allows federal money to be withheld from any college that refuses to give military recruiters access to students and student-contact information.
"I am under the law and will comply with the law as long as it is the law," she said. ************************************************ P-I reporter Jake Ellison can be reached at 206-448-8346 or jakeellison@seattlepi.com
© 1998-2005 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Anti-war groups uses war tactics. Hmmmm. Sure sounds like a liberal group. Liberals: The most violent of people. They burn down universities, destroy and loot city streets, and vandalize as they see fit, all in the name of getting along. Get along or ELSE!
Student loans? Total balance due in 30 days. No more subsidized loans for you.
Apparently, the only protected speech on campus is rabid, virulent and left wing...... what a surprise!
I feel no obligation to let MY military save their sorry @$$ when the next round of islamo-fascists come by.
Just goes to show you that the left DO NOT - NEVER HAS- NEVER WILL 'support the troops'.
They don't believe in freedom for anyone BUT them... none may speak but the chosen few!
Fascist Pigs - every last one of them. Hitler would be so proud to see these punks parading as "peaceniks".
Stop all student loans and Federal funds.
Seattle, while inhabited by some good-natured folks, could use a good nuking. Not in the microwave, either.
Thankfully, there are decent American's who are looking out for the best interests of the country and there always will be. It's for certain not these dungocrap protesters. Not that we would want self-seeking rejects like these defending the front lines.
Let them mob up.
W is president and there is nothing they can do about it.
losers.
"We do not want the military in our schools asking our friends and family to fight for a war that is wrong," Nicole Thomas said. "We want recruiters out of our schools."
Ya know Nicole, that's one of the nice things about this country. The recruiters simply ASK, nothing more. The military they are recruiting for makes sure you don't live in a country where the recruiters don't have to ask.
They are "targeting" military recruiters? OK, arm the recruiters and tell them "weapons free."
Gort
Ah, the tolerant left. Last time I checked, military enlistment is voluntary. Oh, but the left is opposed to letting you make this particular "choice". Ridiculous.
Too bad they can't issue a failing grade for this level of stupidity.
That would tend to reduce the little maggots' bravado.
"Several hundred students surrounded two Army recruiters"
Well, at least the odds were even...
I'm getting tired of hearing stories where military people are hopelessly outnumbered!
Wasup with Washington state?
There are some really radical snot noses there.
I know of a few maggots who left my area for Seattle many years ago to join the "professional left" that infect that area, but I had no idea it is so overrun with these whiny pukes.
They have right to protest their tiny hearts out. They do not have a right to block access, nor to harass, nor to deny those students who might wish to meet with the recruiters the opportunity to do so. The 3rd Circuit is an ass, it that is truly what they ruled.
So make them apologize as well. What a wuss.
Oh I don't know. This would be an excellent opportunity to test one of the new microwave crowd control devices. Makes it feel like the skin is burning right off. In the word of that Marine Lt. General, it would be "fun" to watch the test with these folks as the test subjects targets.
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