GMU student arrested for peaceful anti-recruiter protest

Dear Students, Faculty, and Friends,

We are writing to inform you of a serious violation of civil liberties and blatant racism that occurred on campus today (9/29/05). Tariq Khan, a Pakistani-American student at George Mason, was assaulted and detained by the George Mason police. His crime? Standing 4 feet from the U.S. Marine recruiting table with an 8x11 piece of paper reading, "RECRUITERS TELL LIES" held by tape to his shirt. Tariq, an Air Force veteran, was exercising his right to express his opinion that military recruiters have no business being on a college campus. He was harassed by members of the ROTC- one of whom, a self-described Iraqi war veteran, stated that he couldn't wait to go back to Iraq to kill more Iraqis.

more. . .
http://www.fawcettweb.com/peace/2005/09/protest-at-tower.html

Here's the snippet from today's Washington Post Metro in Brief section:

Rally Held After GMU Student's Arrest

About 100 students attended a noon rally yesterday at George Mason University in support of a student who said he was arrested Thursday by campus police for protesting the presence of a military recruiter in the student center.

Tariq Khan, 27, of Falls Church said he was standing about four feet from a Marine Corps recruiter with a sign on his chest that read: "Recruiters lie. Don't be deceived." Khan, who said he served four years in the U.S. Air Force, said campus police asked him to leave the area after two students ripped off his sign. He said that he refused to leave the area and that police used force to remove him from the center.

Daniel L. Walsch, a school spokesman, said the university was investigating the campus police role in the arrest and whether Khan violated university rules. "George Mason reiterates its deep commitment to freedom of speech," Provost Peter N. Stearns said in a statement read by students at the rally. "We must work to avoid attacks on expressions of free speech, including destruction of signs and other written statements."

Khan said he was charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing.

Where did America go, and how did we get into this quite bizarre country?

"A JC operations representative arrived on the scene to tell Tariq that as a student, he had no right to voice his opinion without a permit, and that he must leave. Tariq defended his right to stand there, peaceably, and the operations staff-member called campus police. While waiting for their arrival, the ROTC guy returned to rip Tariq's sign off of his person and throw it in the trash."

declaring the entire campus a free speech zone. I sincerely hope the officer is appropriately disciplined. Additionally, civilians who participated in the arrest should be charged with assault.

I live in Seattle and saw first hand where, at Clinton's orders, the very first "protest zone" was created during the 1999 WTO ministerial as part of a major crack-down on citizens' First and Second Amendment rights. I hope you understand, the phrase "free speech zone" strikes me as eerily Orwellian, especially given today's political climate.

Three right-wing students quickly surrounded Tariq, yelling at him and ripping one of the signs from his shirt. One of them, who claimed to be a veteran of the Iraq war, said he could not wait to return and kill more Iraqis. School administrators then arrived to question Tariq, followed by officer T.L. Reynolds, who threw Tariq on the ground and put him in a choke-hold.

<http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=43&ItemID=8863>

How About a Free Election Zone ?

And put him in a choke hold? Dear god.

Well that's just sick.