Waving placards reading “fair trials for all,” and “torture is now legal,” approximately 40 students, professors and community members marched through campus Tuesday to protest a recently established law that could allow the government to keep people designated “enemy combatants” imprisoned indefinitely without bringing charges against them.
President Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA) into law on Oct. 17 garnering support from both congressional republicans and democrats.
“I’m scared stiff,” protester and professor emeritus of biology Frank Stahl said.
Referring to the Magna Carta, Stahl said the new law suspends “the central protections citizens have had in England and America since the 13th century.”
“You’ve seen ‘Law and Order’ enough to know that if you don’t bring charges against someone in a few days you’ve got to let them go,” he said.
“We’re trying to repeal the MCA,” said physics major Laura Riihimaki. “It gives too much power to the executive branch,” she said.
The march looped from the EMU Amphitheater, down East 13th Avenue, across the lawn in front of the library and to the sidewalk north of Gerlinger Hall where the group started chanting, “Habeas corpus: Bring it back!”
The chant grew louder and more guttural as they crossed the lawn across from the Student Recreation Center, walked through the breezeway under the EMU and finally reached Johnson Hall.
They gathered in front and chanted, “Hey Ducks, wake up!”
Student organizer Joseph Callahan climbed the steps and read a prepared statement accusing the government of “betraying the values on which it was established.”
The MCA “gives the president power of judge, jury and executioner,” Callahan said. “No one person should have that much power.”
Student Ari Lesser also addressed the crowd, rapping against the new law.
“I’ll be screaming ‘Fuck Bush’ ’til the day I die,” he said.
– Edward Oser
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