Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Darfur protest draws hundreds to White House
By Sarah Scire
The GW Hatchet (George Washington U.)
04/14/2008

(U-WIRE) WASHINGTON — Among a throng of protesters, one GW student was arrested outside the White House Sunday as he and other demonstrators gathered to protest the genocide in Darfur.

Freshman Kaden Trifilio was released later that day by the National Park Service. He and other protesters arrested each paid a $100 fine for ignoring directions to move the demonstration away from the White House.

Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND), an anti-genocide coalition with chapters in colleges, high schools and middle schools across the nation, organized the protest.

"We have been lobbying Congress and hoping for change but it was time to take the next step," said Trifilio, who is also a Hatchet campus news reporter. "This was the first time STAND has been involved with purposeful civil disobedience."

Demonstrators from Massachusetts, Iowa, Delaware and D.C. marched from the National Mall, where some visiting students had camped out, to the White House. Organizers of the event estimated 15 to 20 people were arrested after signing up to participate in the civil disobedience.

"The people of Darfur live day to day not knowing if they will survive," Trifilio said. "The idea of voluntarily breaking the law and giving up control of our situation GW freshman Steph Figgins said she was proud of GW's "strong showing" at the event. Figgins, STAND's D.C. outreach coordinator, said there was a marked difference between her organization's methods and protesting of the past.

"We're coming to the White House with a specific set of policy asks," she said. "This is not our parents' generation, where people showed up just to protest. We are well-educated on the subject and we have a clear idea of what needs to be done."

American sophomore Dana Fleitman, one of the protest's organizers, said despite the arrests, no serious altercations occurred between STAND members and the police. She emphasized that her group was committed to practicing peaceful civil disobedience.

"I think our positive message should be matched with a positive protest," Fleitman said. "We worked with police, obtained permits and offered civil disobedience training for protesters."

Fleitman said the Park Police offered to return signs that had been confiscated after the protest.

"Our message is for the executive," Fleitman said. "We're not looking to trouble the police."

Julia Schumacher, a junior from Luther College in Iowa, said she hoped the turnout would encourage President Bush to use his last year in office to end the genocide.

"We're here to send the message that students care about Darfur and we want our government to act," Schumacher said.

The protesters were undeterred by the lack of an administration response to the demonstration.

"It seems like George Bush wants to ignore us," Schumacher said. "But we won't be ignored."

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