I saw the following post on the CSU Monterey Bay Online Board. It's about a student who was questioning recruiters about their recruiting tactics, and then nearby spoke with people who had visited the table. He was arrested for his troubles.
More on the flip side...
The email below is all I know about the incident. I don't know if more is involved than is mentioned, but I think that it deserves some attention from some one or some group who might help this guy:
----- Original Message -----
CSUMB student arrested for questioning military recruiters
From : Ruben Pizarro <rubenpizarro@hotmail.com>
Sent : Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4:56 AM
Subject : Military recruiting abuse
One of my former students was arrested this Sunday at the Dia de la Familia event in Salinas because he was exercising his first amendment free speech rights. He just graduated in June from CSU Monterey Bay and did his Capstone on the deceptive practices of military recruiters and how they target low income and minority young people. At the event on Sunday he approached a table where two members of the armed forces were trying to recruit individuals and began to question many of the promises that they were making to people, as well as, talking to people who had visited the table. The recruiters asked him several times to leave the area but he refused.
Subsequently, two or three Salinas police officers approached him and demanded that he leave the area. Finally, they physically pushed him off of the grounds and arrested him. They refused at all point to tell him why he had been arrested. He later discovered that he was arrested for battery and possession of a deadly weapon (because he is a “rocker type” and was wearing spikes around his wrist) and was released from jail at midnight. As you can imagine he feels like his rights were completely trampled upon and feels helpless.
This young man, at one time in his life, was in serious trouble (doing drugs and abusing alcohol) as a youngster growing up in east Salinas. However, he has made incredible strides in his life and was able to graduate from a university. He has plans to become a paralegal. His appearance is unique- his hair is spiked high and he sometimes wears mascara- but he is a thoughtful, credible young man who deserves better than he was treated.
I would like to find him an attorney and/or get him some media attention so that he does not feel like he has no recourse for what happened to him. Anything that you can do to assist him would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to email me or call me on my cell at 831-229-7969.
Thanks!
Rubén Pizarro
Alisal High School
AP Government teacher
If you are interested in knowing more, make a comment below. I'll let the teacher know about this post and have him check in. If you want to email the teacher directly, do so at his email address above.
jtg