A Syracuse University student group plans to protest U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to campus Monday.

Derek Ford, a member of SU’s chapter of Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, said the group is calling on students to protest Clinton’s visit. He said Clinton is a ‘cheerleader’ of an imperialist system that has brought unnecessary war to countries such as Syria and Libya. While college tuition and debt rise, money is consistently given to these wars, affecting students and citizens alike, he said.

Clinton, a former New York state senator, will visit SU to meet with students and participate in a discussion on foreign policy. She and James Steinberg, dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, will hold the conversation, titled ‘America and the World,’ in Hendricks Chapel at noon.

‘Free speech is a vital part of our national tradition,’ said Steinberg in an email. ‘I’m confident that our students will find ways to exercise that right consistent with our equally important tradition of civil discourse.’

Ford, a graduate student in the School of Education, said the protest’s goal is to highlight the issues students and citizens face concerning Clinton’s discussion. The protest will take place primarily at the beginning of the event as attendees enter the chapel to hear her speak. Placards, signs and flags from the targeted countries will be waved to let the campus know Clinton is unwelcome, Ford said. The group will begin protesting at about 10:30 a.m. Monday and will try and get as close to the chapel as allowed, he said.

An important aspect of the protest is its effect on students, Ford said. He said their right to an education is under attack because of the rising cost of tuition and debt. Students are essentially being ‘defuturized,’ he said, because of the lack of jobs available in today’s economy.

‘In the city of Syracuse, there’s dire need for housing and health care and education at all levels, and we’re constantly told there’s no money for these things,’ he said.

However, Ford said, much of the country’s money is consistently being given to a war budget. But Ford said Syria and Libya never attacked the United States and never wanted an intervention.

In an initial email to The Daily Orange, Ford said Clinton approved a war on Libya that has reduced the once prosperous country to ‘a wasteland’ and embroiled it in a civil war. He also said she is now attempting to lead the overthrow of the Syrian government against its citizens’ wishes.

ANSWER, the group Ford is involved in, stands in solidarity with the people of Syria, Libya and other countries affected by imperialism, he said. People in these countries have been threatened, attacked and their homes have been destroyed, Ford said.

‘We defend the people and their sovereignty, their self-determination,’ he said.

Amy Snider, president of the SU College Democrats, said the group is aware of the protest but is not opposed to it. ANSWER has a right to speak out and the College Democrats respect that, she said. In fact, it’s a perfect opportunity to let the group’s cause be heard.

‘We need to be open to political discourse,’ Snider said. ‘It’s a very healthy part of American democracy.’

Zach Weiss, chairman of the College Republicans, said protesting is an essential part of students’ rights, as both SU students and citizens of the United States.

‘I’d encourage everyone to attend this event,’ Weiss said in an email. ‘We are very lucky to be welcoming a political figure of Secretary Clinton’s stature, and we look forward to hearing what she has to say, regardless of whether we agree with her views or not.’

While the protest will make others aware of Clinton’s agenda, it is also part of a national movement, Ford said. ANSWER is looking to build an anti-war movement that will ultimately be capable of ending imperialism, and young people are a good way to start doing that, he said.

Said Ford: ‘We’ll use this as an organizing event to continue mobilizing students, who, historically, have always been the life blood of radical social justice.’

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Published on April 20, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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