After accusing UW-Madison administration and the federal government of improper surveillance of its Madison chapter, Stop the War members gathered Tuesday to protest the presence of military recruiters on campus.
Disapproving of the war in Iraq and military recruitment, about 20 Stop the War members entered the Government, Non-Profit and Volunteer Career Fair at the Memorial Union with anti-war signs to speak with UW-Madison students near the recruitment tables and hand out anti-war literature.
'Military recruiters use the same tactics of deception and empty promises that the Bush administration used to recruit America for its war on Iraq,' UW-Madison senior and Stop the War member Benjamin Ratliffe said in a speech. 'We believe young people seeking the opportunities and benefits of an education should not have to kill or be killed to get them.'
Supporting Stop the War's efforts, Dane County Board candidate and UW-Madison junior Ashok Kumar said he was there to protest in light of close friends recently being deployed to Iraq.
While Stop the War reaped the support of various community members, students and political figures, UW-Madison College Republicans denounced the organization's complaints.
'Even though Stop the War would rather we do not defend ourselves, the College Republicans support President Bush's actions,' said UW-Madison College Republican Chair Jordan Smith in a statement. 'I sincerely hope the men and women fighting for our freedom realize that we support them, even amid the actions of anti-troop and anti-war groups.'
Military recruiters present at the fair included the United States Air Force and the United States Marines. They said the protest was expected.
'It happens all the time,' said USAF Gunnery Sergeant Gann.
'We knew they were coming,' USAF Technical Sergeant Joe Metzger added. 'They have every right, I guess.'
Chancellor Wiley issued a statement before the protest, saying, 'Open debate, particularly about matters of great societal concern has long been a hallmark of this campus.'
Although he said protesting should not be a 'harassment or disruption,' and that UW-Madison 'will protect the rights of students who wish to associate with military recruiters.'
'Should a student or student group make a decision to act outside of our established parameters for protest, they are essentially accepting responsibility for the consequences of their civil disobedience action,' Wiley said.
With regard to Wiley's precautions, Stop the War did not block recruitment tables or directly interrogate the recruiters, and no arrests were made at the fair.
