 "Photo: Dan Bracaglia / Photography Editor")
The anti-war Walk Out set for 1:23 p.m. today has led to much press for Rutgers Against the War as they have promised the protest will make more of a statement than ever before. But with added anticipation of the event this year comes greater controversy as well.
"The size and success of last year's Walk Out, including the occupation of Route 18, has led to media inquiries, police intimidation and harassing phone calls concerning plans for this year's actions," said RAW member Ian Chinich, a Class of 2007 alumnus.
RAW treasurer Suzan Sanal, a Douglass College junior, said she attended a meeting two weeks ago with RAW administrative adviser Karen Ardizzone, members of the Rutgers University Police Department, the New Brunswick Police Department and a member of Rutgers Emergency Services concerning the Walk Out. Sanal said police asked about the planned route for the march and said protesters cannot set foot on Route 18 in New Brunswick.
"We appreciate the cooperation we had with police at last year's Walk Out, but it's incredible that as activists and peace and justice advocates, we face more repercussions on our own streets for expressing freedom of speech than actual war criminals," Sanal said. "We also know the concern of the ambulances has come up in previous conversations about the Walk Out, but we moved out of the way of an ambulance last year that drove onto George Street. So we do cooperate with Emergency Services."
Sanal said a member of the RUPD said the ROTC offices on the College Avenue campus, as well as the Marine Corps recruiting station on George Street, would be closed today due to the Walk Out and alluded to the bombing that occurred March 6 at the Armed Forces Recruiting Station in New York City's Times Square.
But when asked if the Army ROTC office would be closed, Gail Lawrence, secretary for Military Education ROTC, said there would be no adjustments made.
"There are no ROTC classes [today] anyway, so you won't see students in uniform around," she said. "But it's a regular business day, and the office will remain open."
Lawrence said the RUPD usually alerts them if there are any incidents involving the military on campus.
Air Force ROTC Captain Sean Hoggs said their office will remain open as well. Hoggs said he did not perceive the Walk Out to be a threat.
"In understanding our culture and what we defend as military officers, as Americans, you have the right to exercise your freedom of speech," he said. "If the [protest] is authorized by the University, then who am I to argue with that? It's not our job to argue with protestors - it's to create officers for the Air Force."
Sanal said it would be a victory if the recruiting station had been closed down for the day as it would prevent anyone from being recruited, if only for a short amount of time. She said she was surprised to learn it will remain open.
"What are the police trying to accomplish by saying those places will be shut down?" she said. "We don't appreciate being lied to. We're not protesting the police: We're protesting the war. They're supposed to protect our rights."
As of press time, the RUPD could not be reached for comment.
"We are not against service men and women, and we completely support the troops and we want to bring them home. So it's not that we go to protest these people in ROTC and the Marines," Sanal said. "We don't want students in ROTC to get the wrong idea. We stand by them and support them."
Chinich said the Walk Out will help bring attention back to the occupation in Iraq which has lately been ignored by mainstream media.
A coalition of diverse University organizations will be participating as well.
"As students, it's an important moment in our lives to make a statement and do it in our own local community," Sanal said. "There are a lot of areas in New Brunswick that are tied to the war, and it's important to show how our community has our own responsibility to do whatever we can to stop the war."
Chinich said RAW has been getting a lot of media attention and met with several documentary filmmakers to discuss filming the Walk Out.
Sanal said Michael Moore, best known for the controversial documentaries Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, has a story about the Rutgers Walk Out on the front page of his Web site and other press will help bring attention to the cause.
"A walk out will help us build the student anti-war community at Rutgers," she said. "It will be an empowering moment. When campuses across the nation see that Rutgers is one of the leaders in student anti-war activism and when they see we are trying to be as loud as possible, then they start to take action on their own campuses and groups all over the nation take action."
Sanal said the march was planned to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War and the 4,000th American soldier casualty.
"[The Walk Out] won't actually send the troops home, but you have to work to that point," Sanal said. "You can't let people forget."
