Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Protesters vocal during Bush's San Jose visit
By Zeenat Umar
Spartan Daily (San Jose State U.)
04/24/2006

(U-WIRE) SAN JOSE, Calif. — A mass protest of roughly 400 protesters gathered near Cisco Systems Inc. on Friday afternoon to protest against President George W. Bush's visit to San Jose.

"Today is a day we unwelcome Bush in San Jose," said Karen Meredith, a mother who lost her son in the war in Iraq.

The themes of the protest — demonstrated in speeches, music and slogans — included ending the war in Iraq, stopping a potential confrontation with Iran, immigrants' rights, Indian health care and more money for education.

Banners bounced amongst the protesters saying, "fire the liar," "words not swords," "the war is a lie," "Bush makes Nixon look honest," and "Jesus weren't no damn warlord."

The mostly peaceful protest ended in a confrontation between a few Muslims and San Jose police officers when a group of Muslim men held congregational prayers on a blocked street.

Harun Arsalai said that he got a citation for crossing the street, but he believed it was because he told the officers to let the men finish their prayers before asking them to get off the street.

One of the men was briefly detained by handcuffs for refusing to cooperate with the police according to the arresting officer.

"He's being arrested because he's Muslim," Arsalai said. "This is obvious intimidation and it's the same thing that happened at DeAnza."

According to another police officer, they were concerned with the men's safety because there was a possibility of a crossing light-rail. All the men involved received citations. Bystanders urged police to let them go, joined by furious Muslims attributing the incident to racism.

The rally was confined to half a block between Zanker Road and Cisco Way on Tasman Drive, obstructing the president's motorcade to view the protest.

Zanker Road was blocked off and police tape barred all entrances to Cisco, where the president was scheduled to speak with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, education leaders and Cisco officials regarding student aid programs and better training for the company's workforce.

Although the protesters, who ranged from children to senior citizens, could not get a glimpse of the president, they began chanting loudly and beating drums as they sighted the helicopter they believed he was in.

"Bush, Cheney, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide," shouted the protesters surrounded by about 40 police officers stationed well beyond the vicinity of the demonstration.

Several protesters said they expected Bush to be oblivious of the protest and were present to support each other and make a difference to the citizens and politicians.

"It's not for Bush, it's for the people," said Mike Laster, a former police officer who said he resigned because he did not want to carry a gun. "By my coming out, it may encourage more people."

Morteza Tajally, representing the Bay Area Iranian Democrats, one of the sponsoring organizations, had a similar opinion.

"It wouldn't matter to Bush, but it would matter to citizens and politicians," Tajally said. "We're trying to stop the war in Iran before it starts."

Bonnie Laster, a former schoolteacher, said that she doubted the protest would affect Bush, but that it may possibly make a difference to his administration.

"We're downsizing the world but the administration has a different idea," Laster said, holding up a banner that said, "Why is there always money for war, but not for education?"

Another Iranian American voiced his condemnation of the war in Iraq and the route taken by the American government in respect to Iran. He said that he does not want to see his taxes used for killing people.

"We went to war with Iraq over their possession of nuclear weapons but none has surfaced," said Maziar Moallem. "And without trust, I am not sure if our reason for attacking Iran now is legitimate or false intelligence."

Moallem said that he advocates peace and friendships between governments and nations but that is not possible if a government reverts to war instead of dialogue.

"I see more posturing and war happening, which will lead to more anger, hatred, aggression for all the involved," Moallem said. "They are here to serve, be accountable and have a power-trip, but power-tripping alone is unacceptable."

Ali Madi, an Iranian American protester, said that Iran should get the same chance that North Korea is getting.

"We need to give diplomacy a chance," Madi said.

Sudarshan Suresh, an Indian American protester, vented his criticism of the American government's failure to clean up an industrial disaster in Bhopal that took place 20 years ago. The leakage of the plant, Union Carbide, killed roughly 20,000 residents for which the survivors were never compensated for. The polluted site's contamination continues to debilitate illnesses among the settlers in the area because it has not been cleaned up.

"The Dow Chemicals Inc. produced chemicals in Bhopal that are banned in the U.S.," Suresh said. "The disaster has still not been cleaned up and the U.S. government refuses to turn the fugitive Warren Anderson, chairman of Union Carbide at the time, to the Indian government."

The protest was held from 1 to 4 p.m.

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