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Students protest CIA recruitment
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by Alexandra Rogers
Thursday, February 15, 2007
More than a dozen University of Wisconsin students gathered on Bascom Hill Wednesday to protest the CIA recruitment and education event being held at North Hall.
UW senior Nick Limback said the protest, which was organized by students of the Campus Antiwar Network and the Student Labor Action Coalition, was meant to inform and educate students about the CIA's role in government policy as well as the organization's "wrongs."
"We wanted to raise awareness about the human rights abuses that the CIA has committed and is currently committing," Limback said.
Limback said the CIA has acted violently to protect business interests in the United States, attributing the assassinations of several state leaders in Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala and Iran to CIA officials.
Alfred McCoy, UW history professor and author of a recent book that chronicles CIA interrogation techniques, said the protest was "well-warranted" based on the violent history of the government agency.
"In 2002, the Bush administration has given [the CIA] 10 enhanced interrogation techniques designed by agency psychologists such as water boarding, a form of torture that simulates drowning," McCoy said. "I think it's a worthy protest — none of us are above the law, including the CIA."
Though the protest was small due to last-minute preparation, Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, a first-year UW graduate student and supporter of CAN, said the demonstration accomplished its task.
"I think it went well for what we were trying to get out of it," Wrigley-Field said.
Wrigley-Field said students attending the recruitment event were not the intended audience of the demonstration, but rather those who agree with CAN's opinion of current U.S. foreign policy.
UW senior Lee Kujava, who attended the information session, said the protesters merely sent a negative message.
"I would say the protesters' hearts were in the right place, but their message was misguided," Kujava said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald. "For everything they listed as an atrocity — true or not true — it is very easy to list something good that the CIA has and continues to contribute to society. … It was appropriate, but I didn't agree with it."
However, Wrigley-Field said the efforts of the demonstrators were well-aimed.
"People need to know what the CIA has been responsible for," Wrigley-Field said. "I think the CIA exists to carry out the nastiest elements of U.S. foreign policy."
Kujava said he doesn't think the efforts of the organizations are as effective when they are used too frequently.
"This isn't meant for any one group, but I would say that protesting is way overused by Madison students," Kujava said. "One student at the session said that he doesn't even listen to the message of [protests] anymore because there are so many of them going on each school year."
Limback disagreed and said the demonstration was appropriate for these student groups to participate in.
According to Limback, who helped to organize the protest, SLAC focuses on anyone struggling against economic exploitation. CAN, on the other hand, opposes U.S. wars and organizes demonstrations like the upcoming march in Washington D.C.
Anonymous (February 15, 2007 @ 4:24am):
"I think the CIA exists to carry out the nastiest elements of U.S. foreign policy."
Well, Ms. Wrigley-Field, next time the CIA needs to do something nasty, you can go do it yourself. After all, your stadium bathrooms are pretty nasty, so you should be well prepared.
Anonymous (February 15, 2007 @ 10:41am):
Why is this article a newsworthy event?? A couple of nutjobs at the last minute stage a two second protest and this is newsworthy? Stop giving these freaks press. Seriously. Ive got a 200 person pub crawl this Saturday called Bomb 2k7 starting at noon. Wheres my article on that?
Anonymous (February 15, 2007 @ 12:43pm):
"next time the CIA needs to do something nasty, you can go do it yourself."
What, like killing bishops and nuns? or bombing a plane transporting 70 children? or assassinating an ambassador to the US (on US soil) after staging a coup to install a fascist dictator in his home country? or releasing an admitted terrorist (see #2) after escaping from jail in Panama and being held in El Paso on illegal immigration charges... on an anniversary of 9/11?
which of those did we really need to do?
Anonymous (February 15, 2007 @ 1:31pm):
Is her name really Wrigley-Field? Why has nobody ever written about or looked into this?
Anonymous (February 15, 2007 @ 5:24pm):
At least you have a cool name Wrigley-Field...Go Cubs!
Anonymous (February 18, 2007 @ 12:30am):
was this action connected to all the student protests nationwide on feb15?
http://february15.wordpress.com
Anonymous (May 12, 2007 @ 8:34pm):
How about the rights of those students who don't believe the recycled Cold War communist rhetoric about the CIA and would like the opportunity to hear about the CIA?
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