by illona
Students bravely evicted police from the protest after police ruthlessly peppersprayed peaceful protesters.
Voice: “Mic check!”
Crowd: “Mic check!”
Voice: “We are willing…”
Crowd: “We are willing…”
Voice: “To give you a brief moment…”
Crowd: “To give you a brief moment…”
Voice: “Of peace…”
Crowd: “Of peace…”
Voice: “In order to take your weapons…”
Crowd: “In order to take your weapons…”
Voice: “And your friends…”
Crowd: “And your friends…”
Voice: “And go.”
Crowd: “And go.”
Voice: “Please do not return…”
Crowd: “Please do not return…”
Voice: “We are giving you a moment of peace.”
And the riot cops began backing away slowly.
It’s a triumphant moment in Occupy’s history. One that brings a tear to my eye (the good kind). Now Nathan Brown, Assistant Professor at the University of California at Davis is calling for the resignation of Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. In his letter, he calls out the hypocrisy we bear witness to daily.
On Wednesday November 16, you issued a letter by email to the campus community. In this letter, you discussed a hate crime which occurred at UC Davis on Sunday November 13. In this letter, you express concern about the safety of our students. You write, “it is particularly disturbing that such an act of intolerance should occur at a time when the campus community is working to create a safe and inviting space for all our students.” You write, “while these are turbulent economic times, as a campus community, we must all be committed to a safe, welcoming environment that advances our efforts to diversity and excellence at UC Davis.”
How much longer are the one percenters going to think they can get away with such blatant hypocrisy? How much longer are the ninety-nine percenters going to stand for it? It’s up to all of us to shame these people out of their positions of power. Elections take far too long to make change. Each and everyone of us, waking up and going through our day needs to stand tall in the face of lies and deceit put forth in front of us by the one percent. They will cling to their castles only as long as we let them. Are we going to let them? NO!
***Nov. 20 Update***
Students silently line the path to Chancellor Katehi’s car.
While the entire faculty board of UC Davis is calling for the Chancellor Katehi’s resignation:
The DFA Board calls for the immediate resignation of Chancellor Katehi. The Chancellor’s authorization of the use of police force to suppress the protests by students and community members speaking out on behalf of our university and public higher education generally represents a gross failure of leadership.
Given the recent use of excessive force by police against “occupy” protestors at UC Berkeley and elsewhere, the Chancellor must have anticipated that, by authorizing police action, she was effectively authorizing their use of excessive force against peaceful UCD student protestors. The Chancellor’s role is to enable open and free inquiry, not to suppress it.
We also call for a policy that will end the practice of forcibly removing non-violent student, faculty, staff, and community protestors by police on the UC Davis campus. The University of California should be taking a leadership role in encouraging the exercise of free speech, not in suppressing it.
(SOURCE: http://ucdfa.org/2011/11/19/dfa-board-calls-for-katehis-resignation/)
