Protest against the Arrest of Activists

MEDIA RELEASE
July 30th, 2008
Attention: Reporters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Protest against the Arrest of Activists.

In response to the recent arrests of outspoken political activists on the Otago University campus, several student clubs affiliated to the Otago University Student’s Association (OUSA), members of University staff, and concerned members of the public are organizing a protest scheduled for 2:00pm on Friday the 1st of August. The protest will assemble on the Union Lawn, and will then march to the Registry (Clocktower) Building.

Several politically active students were arrested earlier this month for engaging in an act of civil disobedience. This included vocal student political leaders. Subsequently all three were also trespassed from select areas of the University in an attempt to prevent them from engaging in political speech and continuing their campaign of civil disobedience. The arrests and trespass orders are a blatant attack on civil rights, especially the rights to free speech, freedom of expression and association. It is also an attempt by the police to intimidate and quash a political movement by arresting it’s leaders and those in association with them.

The protest will be calling for an end to such harassment, and a re-evaluation of the police presence on campus.

ends