From: Michael Letwin
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2013 9:45 AM
To: 1199 Members; ALAA MEMBERS
Subject: 2:30 Today: Defend CUNY Students’ Right to Protest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPtn5–IVDo
-Please forward and circulate widely-
LABOR’S HELP NEEDED THIS MONDAY, SEPT. 23, IN DEFENSE OF CUNY STUDENTS’ RIGHT TO PROTEST
When: Monday, September 23, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Macaulay Honors College, 35 West 67th St. (between Central park West and Columbus Ave.)
What: Protest called by the Ad Hoc Committee Against the Militarization of CUNY
Dear sisters and brothers:
This coming Monday, September 23, CUNY students need labor’s support in defense of the basic right to protest. This right is vital for the labor movement, whose members’ daughters and sons are also a big part of the predominantly working-class, immigrant, African American, Latino and Asian CUNY student body.
Many of you are already aware of the violent, unprovoked police attack on CUNY students at last Tuesday’s protest in front of a fundraiser where former Iraq/Afghanistan war commander David Petraeus was a keynote speaker.
As CUNY’s faculty/staff union points out in the “PSC Resolution in Protest of Violent Police Response to Peaceful Protest by CUNY Students” (reproduced below for reference):
“On September 17, 2013, the New York Police Department arrested six people, including four
CUNY students, in an unprovoked police attack against a peaceful protest by students and
faculty against CUNY’s appointment of former CIA chief ex-General David Petraeus. CUNY
students were punched, slammed against vehicles and against the pavement by NYPD officers.
Documentary video evidence shows a plainclothes police officer gratuitously kidney-punching a
protester who was already held down by other police officers and immobilized.”
Scenes of this gratuitous brutality are vividly shown in videos which have circulated widely on the Internet. Here is just one of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPtn5–IVDo
Will NYC labor stand aside as our CUNY students, faculty and university workers have their rights trampled, and our students are violently assaulted in a brazen attempt to stifle their voice of protest against the drive to militarize our university?
To this we must answer together with a resounding “No!” CUNY’s students are the hope and pride of tens of thousands of working-class families in our city. Defending their rights is crucial to us all — and New York is a union town. Workers here have tremendous potential power.
Let’s put these facts together and bring out significant union and community support this Monday at the protest that the Ad Hoc Committee Against the Militarization of CUNY has called on the basis of the following demands: “CUNY Must Not Be a War College! War Criminal Petraeus, ROTC, Military Contracts and Military recruiters: Out of CUNY! Defend the CUNY 6! Drop All the Charges Now!”
Sisters and brothers: Please help bring out a real showing from the unions, immigrant rights, community, anti-racist and other concerned and activist groups this Monday — in defense of CUNY students’ rights to protest, and to defend the City University itself against militarization and police brutality. Together we can make a real difference in a situation where the rights of us all are at stake.
When: Monday, September 23, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Macaulay Honors College, 35 West 67th St. (between Central park West and Columbus Ave.)
What: Protest called by the Ad Hoc Committee Against the Militarization of CUNY
The committee may be contacted by writing adhoccunycommittee@gmail.com
In solidarity,
Sándor John
s_an@msn.com 917-520-5368
Adjunct Associate Professor of History, Hunter College
Union delegate (writing in a personal capacity); member Class Struggle Education Workers
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