When Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales spoke at a Georgetown Law School Forum on Tuesday, 1/24, attempting to
justify the NSA spy program, students turned their back on him in
protest. As the Bush regime spends this week attempting to build public
support for their police state, actions like this need to meet them at
every turn.
First Hand Account of Georgetown Law Students Protest of Gonzales
(from dc indymedia)
I was asked for a first hand account of the student protest of Gonzales
on Jan. 24th at Georgetown Law. Real quick here is my recollection of
it:
First, we didn’t find out that Gonzales was coming to our school or
giving an address titled ‘Intercepting Al Qaeda: A Lawful and Necessary
Tool for Protecting America’ until less than 24 hours before the
scheduled start. Students started contacting each other about taking
action. Ideas were exchanged. We didn’t know if we would all get in
because of the size of the room, and we didn’t know, if we would get
stopped, searched etc. and prevented from entering or entering with
signs, especially because some tattle-tale found out we were planning
stuff and informed us he was going to tell the dean. Some worked into
the night writing press releases and making banners. At about 9:45
people started lining up to enter the room where Gonzales was to speak.
Two students unfurled and held a banner that said ‘Don’t Torture the
Constitution’ for all to read as they waited in line, and (hopefully)
for Gonzales to read as he came to enter the room. At 10:00 the doors
were opened and people were allowed to enter.
At 10:30 Gonzales entered the room and Dean Aleinikoff introduced him.
While people were applauding and Gonzales took the podium, two women in
the second row got up and turned their backs on Gonzales. Both women
had the words ‘Tap This!’ on their butts, and one had a ‘I (heart) the
Bill of Rights’ sign stuck to her back. We have heard from an unnamed
person who was on the panel that you could read the asses from there,
so Gonzales got the message.
Gonzales began speaking. As he spoke, other students stood and turned
their backs. Then a group in the back row stood up with black hoods on
and held the banner with ‘Those who would sacrifice liberty for
security deserve neither’ up to the cameras. It was beautiful.
Every few minutes more students stood and turned their backs, including
some who had not known any protest would be taking place, but chose to
stand in solidarity with us and to stand up against Gonzales. It was
strong and beautiful resistance. Over 30 students stood and turned
their backs on Gonzales as he tried to justify spying on Americans.
Several students walked out on him before the end of his speech.
It was strong and beautiful. We are currently working on articles
explaining why we chose to protest Gonzales, and why we chose the
tactics we did to submit to the media.
to see the pictures, go to the slide show at