From: a student (fsu_usas@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Apr 07 2002 - 03:12:47 EDT
The Fight at FSU Continues
Brief History:
Following an extensive 2 year campaign to try to get
Florida State University to join the Workers Rights
Consortium, students set up a Tent City outside of
administrative building.
On Mon. March 25 2002, United Students Against
Sweatshops at Florida State U. camped out in front of
the administrative building, which houses FSU
President Sandy D’alembre’s office.
Following an expired ultimatum, issued by the
students, which demanded that the president provide a
justifiable explanation as to why he will not join the
Workers Rights Consortium, students pitched tents
outside of the building.
FSU-SAS had planned to spend a prolonged period of
time camped out in front of the building, and were
lead to believe they had the right to by the campus
P.D.
At 6:30pm police notified the group they will not be
able to stay the night, and must clear the area. They
were told they could either go to a designated “free
speech zone” where they could demonstrate, or pack up
and leave.
At that point 12 students decided to stand their
ground, and remain.
Trang Do, Jacqueline Karma Bennett, Jennette
Hartstein, Davida Silverman, Cassie Cross, Ellen
Trimarco, Evan Mays, Steven Payne, Ben Dyckman, David
Clagett III, Tony Williams, and Shahar Sapir were all
arrested on Mon, March 25th.
At 9:30pm a police bus arrived and took all 12
students to the local county jail (Leon county jail).
$500 bail had to be posted for each of the students to
be let out. They have been charged with trespassing, a
1st degree misdemeanor in the state of Florida. In
addition, they will be tried by the school for the
violation, with the possibility of expulsion looming
over their heads.
Wed March 27th.
Following the arrest of 12 members of FSU-SAS the Tent
City has been moved to one of the school designated
“free speech zones.” We currently have 10 tents.
Saturday, April 6th.
As of now, USAS has more the 40 tents pitched on what
is known as Landis Green. And approximately 50 student
supporters camping out. Members of the faculty has
come out in support of our campaign and has set up a
fund raising site for what have come to be known as
the Westcott 12. (those being the 12 students who were
arrested on march 25th). www.westcott12.org
On April 4th we had a movie showing on the green,
appropriately showing “At the River I Stand” in
commemoration of the late DR. Martin Luther King Jr.
On Fri April 5th Students staged a call in day to the
president from various locations on campus. The
president’s office received over 100 calls. Due to the
sheer magnitude of calls a special answering service
had been set up to take the calls. That service had
been filled up, and jammed as well.
On Fri April 12th, FSU-SAS plans on holding a major
rally in front of the Westcott building, which is
where the President’s office is located.
Finally, we would like to thank everyone who has been
sending letters of support. They have been pouring in,
to the point where the president had to change his
email address.
Please keep the letters of solidarity coming, although
FSU’s spring term ends in roughly 2 weeks, we hope to
win this campaign before then.
It has been rumored that the school plans on removing
the protestors when the term ends, on the reasoning
that while there are no classes in session, we are not
students, and therefore don’t have the right to
utilize the school’s “free speech zone”. This hasn’t
been officially acknowledged, but will most likely be
the University’s position.
Finally, it should be noted that 2 lawyers have
volunteered to take our cases free of charge. The
University has yet to take disciplinary action against
the 12 arrested students, but have not dropped the
charges either.
You can email
President D’alemberte
dalember@mailer.fsu.edu, dalember@pres.fsu.edu
Dr. Barbara Varchol, Dean of students
bvarchol@admin.fsu.edu
Dr. Robin Leach, Assoc. Dean of students
rleach@admin.fsu.edu
Winston Scott, V.P. of Student Affairs
wscott@admin.fsu.edu
with letters of support, and requests for FSU to join
the WRC.
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