By Jacqueline Hlavenka
Minutes before former Attorney General John Ashcroft took the stage in the John Adams Playhouse, outside the theater, politically active Hofstra students were holding a different kind of demonstration.
Presented by University-based civil organizations, including the Progressive Students Union, Women of Action and Hofstra Civil Liberties Union, a student-fronted protest took place outside Adams Playhouse, thirty minutes before Ashcroft addressed the University. The demonstration, prompted by social and political issues such as women’s rights, same-sex marriage and the Patriot Act, challenged policy set by the Bush Administration while Ashcroft was still in office.
“We want to stress that this will be a peaceful demonstration,” said senior Lia Mulligan, leader of the HCLU. “In fact, I am happy he’s coming. Ashcroft is a public figure, and our demonstration will allow to students to evaluate between his speech and our protest.”
Since Hofstra is a private institution, only students attending the university are permitted to protest on campus grounds, though Ashcroft’s speech can have the potential to attract non-university spectators.
“If we allowed people from other organizations off-campus to protest, people can protest on private grounds all the time, and we can’t have that happen,” said junior Mike Goldman, member of PSU.
Earlier in the week, members of PSU met to organize the event and create flyers and posters, one citing the Bill of Rights, others promoting abortion rights, with slogans like “dissent is patriotic.” With the spirit of advocating social change, demonstrators said they wished to provide facts along with the protest.
“This is an educational demonstration about Mr. Ashcroft’s agenda, and we are primarily focusing on issues that need to be stressed,” Michael LaFemina, a senior history and music dual major.
Regarding same-sex marriage, certain flyers and documents, researched by Women of Action, described the difference between civil unions and marriage, with information on Ashcroft’s stance on abortion rights, particularly proposing an abortion ban to overturn Roe V. Wade, with no exceptions to rape, incest or health of the mother.
“I would stress that he would have a little more respect for women and the right to exercise their own decision about their own bodies,” Cheryl Curry, a member of Women of Action, said. “He once released private medical records of women that had abortions, and those types of things are intended by law to be private.”
Protesters gathered on Tuesday evening, unraveling signs and posters, while handing out pamphlets for the New York Civil Liberties Union, as well as Women of Action and Planned Parenthood. The protesters were set to demonstrate in a gated area in front of the Playhouse, hoping to persuade students in line to consider both points of view being presented.
Eric Dubinsky, the vice president of PSU, with approximately 40 other protesters, started chanting “democracy not hypocrisy,” as others followed in unison.
One student, who planned on attending the speech, stepped out of line and joined the chant.
“I came out here just to see [the Ashcroft speech] and I saw everyone protesting and I believe in that, so I thought I’d protest first. I wanted to go because I wanted show that Democrats will listen to the opposition and can actually form opinions,” Daniel Berg, a junior creative writing major, said. “Women’s rights, abortion, race and gender issues, rights for homosexuals are really important, and [Ashcroft] has it all warped.”
Other students standing in line casually ignored the protesters, occasionally mentioning for the demonstrators to “shut up,” but their voices raged on.
“This is what democracy looks like!” the crowd screamed.
As students took part in the democratic process, a professor of economics recognized their efforts and provided an information sheet alongside the protest.
“He was a supporter of the Bush regime, and he’s done a lot of harm with the Patriot Act, in particular, Ashcroft was very instrumental in the various prison camps that were set up in Abu Ghraib and Guantanimo Bay. Also he’s been instrumental in something called extraordinary rendition, which is a notion of capturing people and sending them abroad,” said professor Martin Melkonian, an adjunst associate professor.
Once the doors closed for the Ashcroft speech, some demonstrators went to hear the speech, while others packed up their posters and called it a night.
“The protest went really great and it was a great turnout. If people don’t stand up for their rights, they will lose them,” said Dubinsky.
Protestors gathered outside Adams Playhouse, where former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft delivered an address entitled “Leadership in Challenging Times.”