Hundreds of teachers denounce U of A actions against protest camp

Separate petitions have been written by the general faculty, the School of Government and Public Policy, and the Center for Latin American Studies.

“We the undersigned write with horror, dismay and anger in response to your decision to call the police on our own students who were peacefully protesting,” reads the letter circulating among the general faculty, addressed to Robbins. “Under the guise of enforcing a legal curfew, you have not only violated the primary directive of caring for the students under your charge, but you have also turned a peaceful protest into a violent confrontation.”

Mitch Zak, a spokesperson for the UA, wrote in a statement to the Arizona Daily Star that “the university supports the free and open expression of ideas that are consistent with established campus policies.”

Zak added, “We appreciate that there are strong opinions, understand that some faculty may disagree with our response, and respect their right to express their concerns.”

The general faculty letter, signed by more than 400 professors and graduate students, directly blames Robbins for the chaos that occurred after UA police, Tucson police, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, state troopers and SWAT officers responded to the university descended. day camp.

“YOU called the police,” the letter reads. “YOU acted against our students’ rights to freedom of speech and assembly. YOU should have prioritized student safety.”

In its own statement, the university’s School of Government and Public Policy wrote that “regardless of their political, ideological, racial or religious views, no student participating in the peaceful, non-obstructive exercise of their freedoms of expression and assembly should fear their physical safety, let alone facing administrative or academic sanctions.”

The school’s letter continues: “We are appalled by the disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters, including the use of rubber bullets, chemical irritants and arrests. The harsh treatment of students on campus promotes a culture of fear and is deeply inconsistent with the school’s mission. an educational institution, especially a public land-grant university, that serves minorities, such as the University of Arizona.”

At 1:55 a.m. Wednesday, after a several-hour standoff between officers and about 30 campers, and after UA issued numerous warnings, protesters faced arrests for violating a 10:30 p.m. curfew on non-academic activities, Robbins issued a statement. He ordered law enforcement to “immediately enforce the campus use policy and all associated laws, without further warning,” which led to officers releasing tear gas and pepper balls and shooting rubber bullets at protesters.

“The damage has been done,” says the letter circulating among the general faculty. “At the very least, we ask you and the government not to take any further action against the student demonstrators, either through the police (drop all existing criminal charges and do not pursue new ones) or through the university (no suspension, no expulsion). ).”

The encampment’s organizers, Students Against Apartheid, said “many students” were hit by rubber bullets, including first-year UA student Harlow Parkin, who said he was hit in the head with a rubber bullet.

Robbins defended his response in a public statement Wednesday, saying “minimal use” of pepper balls and rubber bullets in breaking up the protest camp was justified because of “the dangerous actions of the protesters.”

During the standoff lasting several hours before the arrests took place, “law enforcement members were attacked with projectiles,” and the mass of protesters and counter-protesters nearby created an unstable environment, Robbins said.

“Thankfully, at the time of this report, we are not aware of any significant injuries to students, faculty, staff, protesters or law enforcement,” Robbins said.

Four protesters were arrested, three for criminal trespass, and one for criminal trespass and aggravated assault on a peace officer, he said.

A judge on Wednesday dismissed the attack on a peace officer’s case, agreeing with a public defender that there was no evidence the 20-year-old protester intentionally kicked an officer, KOLD reported.

The Tucson Police Officers Association criticized the firing, writing in a Facebook post Wednesday: “Several dozen of our officers responded to the U of A campus to assist in the removal of the unlawful camp there. Several TPD officers were attacked with bottles and other objects, kicked and spit on. This is beyond unacceptable and we will continue to advocate that every person involved in the camp is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Those who barricaded themselves in the encampment Tuesday evening threw plastic water bottles over the barrier and at law enforcement.

An encampment member serving as a media liaison declined to answer questions or make a statement about the throwing of objects.

As in the general faculty letter, signatories to the School of Government and Public Policy statement urge law enforcement agencies and administrators at the University of Arizona not to impose criminal, administrative, or academic sanctions against students who exercise their political rights practice in a peaceful manner.

The school’s letter does not specify the number of signatures it has collected, but was sent widely to the school’s email list.

The faculty and staff of the Center for Latin American Studies released a similar statement, writing that “as Latin Americans who have collectively witnessed and experienced many instances of state-sponsored violent repression, we are proud of the students who have the courage to stand their ground. stand up for their beliefs and affirm their right to protest peacefully.”

Students Against Apartheid said in a statement on Instagram: “President Robbins’ response prioritizes the safety of law enforcement over that of unarmed students, even as police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets directly into the crowd, striking many students. Below the waist and in his head, he refused to acknowledge the agitators and counter-protesters, many of whom were publicly drunk, inciting aggression, shouting profanities and making peaceful demonstrators feel unsafe.