by will
Monday, Feb. 19, 2007 at 6:18 PM
wparrish@napf.org
Nearly 1,500 UCSB students, staff, faculty members, and local residents participated in a powerful and transformative strike against war on February 15th. The day culminated with a mass sit-in on Highway 217 -- the main freeway leading to campus -- that blocked traffic for roughly two hours, followed by a lock-down of the campus administration building, Cheadle Hall.
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The strike was one of 27 coordinated anti-war actions at high school and college campuses across the country. These included walk-outs, rallies, and die-ins, and also four other strikes: at Columbia University, Columbia College (Illinois), Sonoma State University, and Occidental College (Los Angeles).
The day of action was timed to mark the fourth anniversary of the largest global protest in history, when up to 15 million people demonstrated against the Iraq War on February 15, 2003. The UCSB strike played out over six main acts: a picket line from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pardall Tunnel entrance to campus, a rally in Isla Vista, a march across campus, the H217 blockade, a march to the campus administration building, Cheadle Hall, to issue a handful of impromptu demands to the campus administration; and a rally at Cheadle Hall.
Among the most common messages expressed during the day were: “Troops Home Now,” “Drop Tuition, Not Bombs,” and "Ain't No Power Like the Power of the People 'Cuz the Power of the People Don't Stop!"
The strike heralded a dramatic return of the UCSB anti-war movement. Following are some of the comments students have written regarding the action in the past few days:
"Protest 101 was one of the best classes I’ve ever taken. By the end of the strike against war, I gained more knowledge in those three and a half hours than I ever had in an entire quarter-long class."
"today was by far one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I witnessed peace, organization, and youth voice in action."
"I've never been a part of anything quite like this before.....it was an amazing experience!!!"
To build from the strike, a four-day teach-in and festival called Peace Out University will take place next week, from February 20-23, in Isla Vista's Anisq Oyo Park.
Two people were arrested during the action. CHP officers arrested former UCSB student Jesse Carrieri and UCSB associate professor of Women's Studies Mireille Miller-Young for “crossing law-enforcement lines and failing to disperse when ordered to do so.” Each was released at around 7 p.m. that evening.
february15.wordpress.com
