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On Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., members of the Global Justice Project (GJP), as well as many other students and adults, convened in O'Neill Plaza in a demonstration commemorating the four-year anniversary of the war in Iraq. Many sported armbands that said "War" with a red line running through them. Some held signs reading, "Father Leahy and Condoleezza Rice: Unholy Union," "Where's the Iraq Service Trip," and "Kick ROTC off campus!"
Nick Salter, a member of the GJP and A&S '07, briefly addressed the crowd, thanking those who had met the night before to coordinate the event. He explained that the protest was nonviolent, but that police involvement was possible, since the group had not obtained a permit to protest. This, said Salter, was not an oversight, but rather an intentional course of action.
"Because of our view of the demonstration structure, we did not get a permit. We are not going to go through a process that we do not agree with," said Salter.
He then announced that the group would be heading to two locations on campus - which were unknown to the protesters - where they would read the names of the fallen soldiers of the Iraq war.
Hoisting a fake coffin draped with an American flag, the group of approximately 40 to 50 people marched through O'Neill Plaza and the Quad before coming to their first stop: the first floor of Carney Hall, where the campus' ROTC office is located. Once everyone had settled inside the building, the group had grown to over 100 people; Salter said that this was due to many students from professor Charles Derber's Peace and War class meeting up with them. It was at this location that the group first stopped and began to read names, in alphabetical order, of the 3,218 soldiers who have lost their lives to the war in Iraq.
After 25 minutes, Salter announced to the crowd that they were leaving an "anniversary card" at the ROTC office, which demanded that Boston College sever its connection to the "war machine." The crowd then left the building without any incident.
The group of protesters then moved to its next stop, the Office of the Dean for Student Development, as ODSD is the administrative office that overlooks the ROTC program at BC. Upon their arrival at the ODSD, the size of the group had reached somewhere around 200 people. Because of the mass of students, the majority of the group was asked to leave by Associate Dean D. Michael Ryan, and Interim Dean for Student Development Paul Chebator and resume their activities in the hallway outside the office.
"They were interfering with the ability of the office to conduct business," said Chebator.
About eight to 10 protestors were allowed to remain in the office, however, and read more names of the departed.
Once the remainder of the group had moved outside of the office, a note began to circulate as protestors continued to read names. It quoted Chebator saying that they were asked to relocate because the office was reserved for matters of "personal emergency," and then asked that the group remember that the war was also a matter of personal emergency. It said that those who were interested in taking further action should meet in the Undergraduate Government of Boston College office after the demonstration was over.
Salter stated that, to his knowledge, nothing became of this.
"Nothing escalated. Those people [who circulated the note] ended up being the ones that delivered the second anniversary card to ODSD," said Salter.
There appeared to be little animosity between the administration and the demonstrators, especially given that the latter were permitted to stay until the office closed at 5 p.m.
Chebator was also aware that the group did not have the required permit to demonstrate. "That is something we need to talk about," said Chebator.
He did not seem upset with this, however: "While it was an issue, I understand that they needed a way to express themselves and they behaved appropriately. I did not even see this as a protest. I saw it as a memorial for those who have died."
Chebator stated that although the group was protesting the ODSD's support of the ROTC program, he believed that its motivating factor was the war and the people that have died as a result, hence his view on the event.
According to Salter, protestors came and went throughout the course of the day until 4:45 p.m., when all of the names were finished being read.
"We were trying to draw the clear connection between BC and the war in Iraq and the 'war machine,'" said Salter of the protest and the specific venues at which they stopped. "We just believe that BC, as a Catholic and Jesuit university, should kick ROTC off campus."
Salter also spoke of ridding the campus of representatives from weapons manufacturers who come regularly to recruit students. Additionally, he said that BC has endowments of unknown amounts in weapons manufacturers, and that it should sell its stock in these companies.
"We [are] putting pressure on the BC administration to cut its ties to the war," said Salter, explaining that despite the majority of Americans opposing the war, it still continues. "In order for the war to end, institutions need to cut their ties to it. Will is not enough."
As for future plans, Salter said that whenever the opportunity presents itself, the GJP intends to protest the war. "These are issues that we must keep working on," he said.
Chebator shared similar sentiments.
"No matter what side of the issue you're on, you can't ignore the death toll," he said.
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