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Posted on 10/12/2001 7:35:53 AM PDT by Pokey78

Some 120 students walked out of class Tuesday and gathered on the Main Green to protest U.S. military strikes in Afghanistan. At least two professors dismissed class early to allow students to attend.

Shouting “1,2,3,4 we don’t want a racist war,” the students gathered at 11:30 a.m. for an open mic sponsored by Not Another Victim Anywhere, an activist group formed after the Sept. 11 attacks.

“We cannot simply go on with our daily routines as our country prosecutes an unjust war,” said Shaun Joseph ’02, an organizer of the event.

“Students are walking out in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan who must now suffer the double burden of a dictatorial regime and American bombs,” he said.

“To call this a just war is to ignore the mountain of injustice it is based on,” said Brian Rainey ’04. “People are just drunk on the cheap jingoism of the media and politicians.”

NAVA stated three goals for the rally: opposing retaliatory violence, upholding civil liberties and considering the underlying causes of violence.

Some professors, including John Tomasi, associate professor of political science, and William Keach, professor of English, let their classes out early so students could attend the protest.

At one point, Keach took the microphone and said, “What happened on Sept. 11 was terrorism, but what happened during the Gulf War was also terrorism.”

“The anti-war movement may seem like a small voice now, but it will continue to grow in the days and weeks to come,” he said.

University Registrar Michael Pesta said there is no official rule preventing professors from ending their classes early.

“The only formal release time we have is for opening Convocation,” Pesta said. “After that, it’s up to the individual professor.”

A group of some 10 students held a counter-protest nearby and waved American flags.

Some held “Stay in class” signs to protest the walkout. “Don’t let the radical left hijack this tragedy for their own political gains,” the signs read.

“We feel that the peace protesters are not representative of the greater Brown community,” said Peter Kimball ’04. “Six thousand students go here, and only 100 showed up, which shows that they reflect the extreme end of the spectrum.”

Jake Berman ’02 arrived with a boom box and played “Revolution” by the Beatles while holding up placards criticizing the rally.

Many peace activists expressed annoyance that their rally had been disrupted.

“They just stand behind the flag no matter what and it seems they will blindly follow the government,” said Leah Neuhauser ’03.

“When they label us as giving out pacifist propaganda, you have to look at the war propaganda too,” said Langston Dugger ’04. “I don’t think we have exhausted all our options yet, and there are complex underlying issues which have to be addressed.”

NAVA used reports that bombers had killed U.N. humanitarian workers in Afghanistan as an example of bad U.S. policy.

“It’s not just members of the Taliban who are losing their lives — it’s also civilians,” said Cesar Cuauhtemoc Garcia H ’02. “The destruction is very indiscriminate.”

The counter-protesters disagreed.

“It’s clear that our government has taken the proper steps by waiting a month to take action and not intentionally targeting civilians,” said Michael Just ’03. “The protesters are not proposing any legitimate way of bringing bin Laden to justice.”

Toward the end of the rally, the two groups got into a shouting match over what the proper response to the terrorist attacks should be.

“The basic difference between us is that they have a complete lack of faith in our government while we have more trust that the U.S. will do the right thing,” Just said.

The peace activists, however, criticized the Bush administration’s policy of humanitarian food drops while simultaneously making bombing runs.

“The food drops are ineffective and dangerous because of the 10 million land mines in Afghanistan that the refugees have to cross to get to the food,” Rainey said.

The counter-protesters vowed to form their own group.

“As usual, the radical side is the most vocal, and we want to support true liberalism and not the sickening stance of the far left,” said Giacomo Bergamo ’02.

“I don’t think organizing for peace is doing nothing,” Joseph said. “We’re laying the groundwork for real solutions to these problems.”

Speaking into the microphone, Peter Zedrin, who said he is a freelance writer in Providence, decried the United States government.

“I was cheering when the Pentagon got hit because I know about the brutality of the military,” he said. “The American flag is nothing but a symbol of hate and should be used for toilet paper for all I care.”

Many students, including peace activists, took issue with Zedrin’s comments.

“It’s utterly unconscionable that he could cheer the deaths of American citizens,” said Karsin Eng ’03.

“NAVA stands in support of the victims and we realize that what happened was a tragedy,” said Dmitri Seals ’02.

This appeared in The Brown Daily Herald on Wednesday, October 10, 2001

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