Call John Wozniak, President of Harold Washington College (Chicago, IL) (312) 553-5834 or (312)553-5900 to voice your opposition to Security Officer Leon Bowens's unprovoked assault of two antiwar students. The Administration and Campus Security must respect students' right to Free Speech!

Retired Chicago Police Officer Leon Bowens, now a Security Officer at Chicago’s Harold Washington College, forcibly dragged two students out of a Nov. 9 job fair for the crime of asking questions.

Students opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan attended the job fair concerned that students are not getting the full story about military enlistment from recruiters increasingly desperate to counter quota shortfalls. We attended the fair holding no banners or signs, and simply asked polite questions of the recruiters about the likelihood of being sent to war, the oft-promised benefits, and so on.

We were so polite in our questioning that one recruiter defended us when campus security told us to leave, saying, “They’re not bothering me at all. They can stay, they’re fine.” When we started videotaping Officer Bowens's threats to us, he grabbed the camera, telling us to turn it off. We managed to wrest it away from him, so he dragged the student cameraman, Jenell Holden, out of the job fair by his bicep.

Next, Security Officer Leon Bowens and his assistant Herbert Wilson went for Chicago City Colleges student Angie Haban, each grabbing her by an arm, and dragged her out of the job fair, into the hallway, and out the back door onto the loading dock, meanwhile elbowing her in the chin. She sustained bruises to her left upper arm.

This outrageous manhandling of individuals engaged in polite conversations is part of a broader and
longer-term campaign of belligerence and intimidation toward anti-war students wishing to organize and exercise their freedom of speech. On several other occasions Security Officer Leon Bowens has violated
our constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly, breaking up innocuous, informal conversations in student lounges, tearing down and destroying approved fliers, and calling the police on us while we were passing out leaflets in front of the building.

Call Harold Washington President John Wozniak at (312) 553-5834 or (312) 553-5900 to demand that disciplinary action be taken against Security Officer Leon Bowens for his unprovoked assault of Angie Haban and Jenell Holden at the 11/09/05 job fair. We will not surrender our first amendment rights! No more attacks against students!



Hands off Dave Airhart!!!

Kent State Administration Threatens Iraq Veteran with Expulsion for Counter-Recruitment Protest. Contact the Kent State administration with statements of support:
Carol Cartwright- University President: 330-672-2210,
carol.cartwright (at) kent.edu
Greg Jarvie- Dean of Undergraduate Students:
330-672-9494 Gjarvie (at) kent.edu



Defend Charles Peterson!

Register your concerns with Holyoke Community College about the assault and
pepper-spraying of peaceful counter-recruiter Charles Peterson. See www.campusantiwar.net for the full report.
Holyoke Community College Main Number: 413-552-2600
President Messner: 413-552-2222