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This is a report on a
counter-recruitment action at the University of Nevada Reno Nov. 2,
which resulted in the UNR College Republicans filing a lawsuit against the
protesters.
On Nov 2, Nevada Students for Peace & Solidarity (NSPS),
the UNR Queer Student Union, and ANSWER-Reno co-sponsored a protest at the UNR
career fair against the presence of military recruiters and their "don't ask -
don't tell" policy. About 30 people showed up at 12 noon and headed to the
auditotium where the career fair took place.
Those with UNR ID's went in while the rest of us stood outside
with signs and banners. Members of the three organizations handed out literature
and talked with fellow students, and members of the Queer Student Union held a
"kiss-in for justice" to protest the military's homophobic policies. We were
repeatedly told we could not do any of this and that we would have to go to a
"free speech zone," however no one could tell us where these "free speech zones"
were located.
The event was succesfull in raising awareness and expressing
solidarity between the LGBT community and the anti-war movement, and recieved
good press coverage.
On Nov 3, we were handed a lawsuit filed by the VP of the
UNR college Republicans against all three organizations, saying we harrassed and
physically blocked other students, and asking for a restraining order to
prevent us from comng within 50 feet of the career fair (which was already over)
and for us to pay their legal fees. After being asked how they could file a
restraining order for an event that had already passed, they said they hoped it
would be a permanent restraining order. They also later admitted that none of
the protesters ever physically prevented anyone from reaching the recuiters
booths.
We are currently in contact with the Nevada ACLU and the
Partnership for Civil Justice in DC and will probably file a motion to dismiss.
We're almost 100 % sure the lawsuit will be thrown out. It has resulted in a
huge increase in press coverage of the event and the movement to kick recruiters
off campus though, and reports of the protest and lawsuit have
appeared in almost every local media outlet and even in the Advocate, a national
LGBT mag. In solidarity,
Stewart Stout
NSPS & ANSWER-Reno
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