Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK, a women-initiated movement working to end U.S. funded wars and occupations, was barred from AU for a year after she protested at Colin Powell’s April 6 speech in Bender Arena.
Benjamin, holding a sign that said “POWELL=WAR CRIMINAL,” attempted to walk onto the stage after she thought Powell was gesturing her to come up. Powell walked toward her and she started up the stairs.
Department of Public Safety officers removed her and fellow protester Paki Wieland from Bender Arena. Wieland was not barred from AU because she did not try to go on the stage, according to Department of Public Safety Chief Michael McNair.
“AU’s policy is to prohibit signs inside the venue where the speaker is speaking,” McNair said in an e-mail. “When exercising her [Benjamin’s] free speech rights she can not infringe upon the free speech rights of the speaker or the rights of others to hear what the speaker is saying.”
Benjamin said she and Wieland believe Powell lied to the United Nations about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.
“I feel a moral obligation when somebody like Colin Powell or anybody I feel who has not been held accountable for devastating acts like taking us to war on the basis of lies, I feel a moral obligation to protest them,” Benjamin said.
She said believes her First Amendment rights were violated in her ban from AU.
“Schools are usually quite respectful of First Amendment rights,” she said. “I think it’s ridiculous to ban me for a year.”
sdazio@theeagleonline.com
