Fire Chief: University of Virginia "Should be Ashamed"

By: Lowell
Published On: 4/16/2006 6:26:44 AM

Yesterday evening, 17 student "Living Wage" protestors at the University of Virginia were arrested for "trespassing," despite the fact that they "were involved in what they believed to be good-faith negotiations with the administration" and were arrested "after making a counter offer to [UVA President John T.] Casteen+óGé¼Gäós offer."

Based on the facts of the story as I understand it, that's simply lame.  What, were these students preventing important work from going on the Saturday night before Easter? Studying, perhaps?

Lame, lame, lame. 

Anyway, here's a letter from Fire Chief Emeritus Julian H. Taliaferro, a "Vietnam Veteran, holder of the Purple Hearth and Bronze Star Medals, who fought for my country and the associated rights for people to participate in peaceful protests."

President Casteen:

I am deeply disturbed about the reported arrests of 17 students who were conducting a peaceful protect at Madison Hall in support of the Living Wage for both University and contract employees.  I personally visited the site yesterday and it appeared that those present were participating in a peaceful protest.  Later today I understand that negotiations were in progress to bring some resolution to this situation.

Apparently this talk of negations was not in good faith and only a prelude to their arrest.  I personally think that the University of Virginia should be ashamed.

I am a Vietnam Veteran, holder of the Purple Hearth and Bronze Star Medals, who fought for my country and the associated rights for people to participate in peaceful protests.  Something is wrong with this picture.

Julian H. Taliaferro, EFO/CFO
Fire Chief Emeritus
Treasurer
International Association of Fire Chiefs
1500 Grove Road
Charlottesville, VA  22901-3012


Comments



Arresting Protesters (msnook - 4/16/2006 2:36:53 PM)
I'm a student at UVa, and I've talked a bit with the organizers of this particular protest. As I understand it, the protesters were allowed to stay on the lawn outside Madison Hall (Casteen's administrative office) but were forbidden from actually going inside. An anthropology professor was arrested when he tried to go inside, and it seems like that's what happened with the others.

The University has cut off the wifi connection for the building, I guess hoping that camp-in-ers would get bored and go home. Not gonna happen. I passed by on my way to and from church this easter morning, and it's a pretty lively scene, tents pitched on the lawn, signs up, t-shirts available (Love a Democrat / Because who ever heard of a nice piece of elephant?)

If you guys want I can go get some pictures and talk to some people and come back with a post in some of their own words.