Yesterday, Dick Cheney came to University of Tennessee at Knoxville (of which I am a grad student) to deliver a speech for the ground-breaking of the Howard Baker Center for Public Policy.
Cheney was scheduled to speak at 11 am, but in order to get through security attendees were asked to be there 2 hours earlier.
Well, 9 am is pretty early for me, so instead of attending, I decided to protest. The Progressive Student Alliance had organized a protest complete with two persons dressed as Cheney. At 11 am, We marched to our free speech zone across the street from the Thompson-Boling Arena where Cheny was speaking and began our protest. Luckliy for us, snipers were positioned on the roof, guns aimed at us, to keep us safe. We protested for probably an hour and a half outside.
Meanwhile inside the event, several PSA members unfurled a "Peace Now" banner and made entreaties to the Vice President (during his speech) to end the war. Cheney ignored them and they were promptly kicked out, but luckily not arrested.
Even Fox News picked up the
AP article:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Vice President Dick Cheney was heckled by peace protesters Tuesday as he spoke at the groundbreaking for a public policy center honoring former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker.
During Cheney's brief remarks, about a half-dozen people protesting the war in Iraq yelled, "War, what is it good for?" and held up a large banner saying, "Peace Now."
Cheney continued speaking and didn't acknowledge the protesters, who were escorted from the ceremony inside the University of Tennessee's basketball arena.
About 50 protesters, most of them appearing to be college age, demonstrated outside the arena. Several carried signs, including one that read "Honor Baker, Impeach Cheney."
I urge other students in other schools to take similar actions when architects of the War visit your campus. Coverage in the Media will help to highlight further growing sentiment that the War in Iraq should come to an end.