2008 Woodie Awards
Mission accomplished: student protest at recruiting stations
By: Macalester Students for a Democratic Society
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Opinion
On Thursday, March 27th 2008, members of Macalester College's chapter of Students for a Democratic Society registered their dissent and disapproval of the United States' war in Iraq by non-violently shutting down two military recruitment stations in Minneapolis. We believe there is a responsibility placed upon citizens and privileged college students like ourselves to demand peace when our country's irresponsible leaders send our sisters, brothers, friends and parents to fight and die in war.
As we entered the 6th year of war in Iraq, Macalester Students for a Democratic Society "rose up and locked down" in order to physically and symbolically stop mechanisms that enable the continuation of war. Congress has failed to cut off funding for this illegal war, so we attempted to cut off other sources that fuel it. So, at 9am, before recruitment stations opened for the day, 8 Macalester students locked themselves to the doors of neighboring Army and Navy recruitment stations.
Throughout the day of civil disobedience, potential recruits arrived at the stations to find that the lock down had resulted in the cancellation of their appointments; this directly contradicts claims that the stations had planned on being closed. Speaking on behalf of those participating in the protest, our media liaisons were interviewed by television stations, newspapers and other media throughout the day. The act of civil disobedience was covered widely in the media and even ran as the lead story of the nightly news on three mainstream television stations. The Macalester SDS's official press release was distributed to students present at the protest and to the newsrooms of numerous local and national media outlets and was read aloud when the march from Coffman Union arrived with over 200 supporters.
The lies used to manipulate our country into war have been accepted and forgotten while the increasingly frequent exposures of massive popular uprising in Iraq continue to be simply classified as small, rebellious groups of "insurgents". At the same time, the growth, prominence and courage of Iraq Veterans Against the War chapters across the country and the 2008 Winter Soldier Testimonies demonstrate a growing internal opposition to the war. We respect and value the sacrifices of soldiers and veterans. In no way do we aim to attack their service, but rather the administration's lies that built this war and the deceptive tactics of military recruitment.
As we entered the 6th year of war in Iraq, Macalester Students for a Democratic Society "rose up and locked down" in order to physically and symbolically stop mechanisms that enable the continuation of war. Congress has failed to cut off funding for this illegal war, so we attempted to cut off other sources that fuel it. So, at 9am, before recruitment stations opened for the day, 8 Macalester students locked themselves to the doors of neighboring Army and Navy recruitment stations.
Throughout the day of civil disobedience, potential recruits arrived at the stations to find that the lock down had resulted in the cancellation of their appointments; this directly contradicts claims that the stations had planned on being closed. Speaking on behalf of those participating in the protest, our media liaisons were interviewed by television stations, newspapers and other media throughout the day. The act of civil disobedience was covered widely in the media and even ran as the lead story of the nightly news on three mainstream television stations. The Macalester SDS's official press release was distributed to students present at the protest and to the newsrooms of numerous local and national media outlets and was read aloud when the march from Coffman Union arrived with over 200 supporters.
The lies used to manipulate our country into war have been accepted and forgotten while the increasingly frequent exposures of massive popular uprising in Iraq continue to be simply classified as small, rebellious groups of "insurgents". At the same time, the growth, prominence and courage of Iraq Veterans Against the War chapters across the country and the 2008 Winter Soldier Testimonies demonstrate a growing internal opposition to the war. We respect and value the sacrifices of soldiers and veterans. In no way do we aim to attack their service, but rather the administration's lies that built this war and the deceptive tactics of military recruitment.
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