Tomorrow, Thursday April 5 at 2pm, there will be a rally on the MU Patio in support of those being prosecuted for participating in the blockade of the US Bank.
Among those charged is one of our faculty colleagues, Joshua Clover, Professor of English. The students charged are Geoffrey Wildanger, Conrad Samaan, Sophia Kamran, Thomas Matzat, Deanna Johnson, Mohammed Shehk, Kevin Smith, Thomas Zolot, Nicholas Malone, Ali Navid, and Evan Buswell.
As many of you will know, these students and faculty are now facing serious charges. The charges are conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor and twenty counts of obstruction. The first charge carries a maximum sentence of 1 year in prison. And each of the second charges carries a maximum sentence of 6 months in prison. In addition, the administration and the DA are seeking to hold those charged responsible for some $1 million dollars in losses due to the closure of the bank branch.
In other words, these are charges that could seriously damage these people’s lives.
Several of these students were among those pepper-sprayed in November.
We encourage you to attend the rally tomorrow, and to publicize this event as widely as possible among your students and email networks.