**Update**
12/2, 11pm: 1 student’s charges have been dropped, 5 students were
given 20 hours community service, and for 1 student the penalty is
unknown at this time. Clearly the widespread protest had an impact. It
is still outrageous that these students were punished at all.
—————————————–
12/2
Hampton Students
Stand Strong
Charges Still Pending ( Your Support Still Needed!
The World Can’t Wait ( Drive Out the Bush Regime!
Dear Friends,
This morning, the Hampton Administration held seven separate
hearings, one for each of the students facing possible expulsion for their
political protest on November 2nd. Students were told that a verdict
would be reached in 2 or 3 days.
I just spoke to John Robinson, one of the students facing
charges. He sounded genuinely overwhelmed and encouraged by the level of
support he and others have received as they have stood strong in the face of
heavy repression. His message was this: “I just want people to know
that this is not solely about us being exonerated. Even if they let us
off the hook, conditions on campus will be even worse if all our political
activity is still ‘unauthorized.’) There is a lot of connection here, it is
more severe and ridiculous at our campus, but repression is going on across the
U.S. Free
discussion is just too dangerous because things are just too bad.”
Students from Hampton
packed the area outside the hearing room to show their support as those facing
charges were brought in one at a time. Meanwhile, kept further away by
campus authorities, protesters from other schools on the street.
Overnight, the students at Howard University
circulated a petition and garnered 912 signatures demanding that charges be
dropped. Others joined the protest from nearby Old
Dominion University.
From back here in New York City,
our in-box has been jammed as names continue to flood in to the statement of
support initiated by The World Can’t Wait ( Drive Out the Bush Regime.
Hundreds of academics have signed on from around the country, including Michael
Eric Dyson, Robin D.G. Kelly, Howard Zinn, Katha Pollitt, Thulani Davis, Hettie
Jones, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Lawrence Weschler.
All of this is extremely important. Still, the stakes and the context of this
case mean that more is needed.
As it says in the Call for The World Can’t Wait ( Drive Out
the Bush Regime, “The Bush regime is setting out to radically remake
society very quickly, in a fascist way, and for generations to
come.” Dissent is being criminalized, repression is escalating, and
meanwhile the Bush Regime’s rolling crimes in Iraq,
in the wake of Katrina, and now the Supreme Court battle continue to
mount. Again from the Call, “We must act now; the future is in the
balance.”
At every point when these students have stood strong, the
Hampton Administration has come down on them harder. They have been
followed by campus detectives, threatened with expulsion, had their media
interviews interrupted and shut down by campus police and more. The
campus has a history of very tight control on its students. And, it is
likely more than coincidence that all of this is happening at a University
whose President, Dr. William R. Harvey, is a Bush appointee to the Federal
National Mortgage Association.
We must step up our support for these students.
Forward this petition to all of your lists and with great urgency.
Further, join with Harold Pinter, Cornel West, Jane Fonda,
Ed Asner, Gore Vidal, and others in taking up the Call for The World Can’t Wait
( Drive Out the Bush Regime! (Read and
sign it here). On
over 70 cities involving tens of thousands of people and more than 200
schools.
Our next big step is to drown out Bush’s State of the Union
this January (date to be announced). As
Bush tries to “turn the page” and get people to forget his crimes and
“focus on the future,” the world must see tens of thousands in the
streets nation-wide “Bringing the Noise” and drowning him out. That following Saturday, the people will
converge in DC to declare, “BUSH STEP DOWN! And Take Your Program With You!”
We must do this on a scale that can truly make a difference
and be heard and felt by the world. As
part of accomplishing this, we are immediately placing an ad in the New York
Times with the Call and an announcement of these plans. More ads, designed to reach into every corner
of U.S. society
and rally forward all those who are agonizing over this direction but do not
have a vehicle to act, will follow.
Right now, you can do three things that will make a concrete
difference.
1. Forward this Statement
to Defend the Hampton 7 to everyone in your in-box and more. We have included the Hampton
statement below with an updated list of signers for forwarding.
2. Make
a donation to get World Can’t Wait – Drive Out the Bush Regime! a fullpage ad in the New York Times.
3. If you work with students, print and distribute this
invitation to Make
Your Winter Break Matter by volunteering with The World Can’t Wait ( Drive
Out the Bush Regime this holiday break.
The future is hinging on what people like us do. Please join us.
Best,
Sunsara Taylor
Co-Initiator of World Can’t Wait ( Drive Out the Bush
Regime!
Keep up to date by checking our website daily:
worldcantwait.org