ktravula – a travelogue!

Campus Students Protest

Yesterday, in a temperature of about ten below zero, Egyptian students and friends gathered at the Free Speech Quadrangle on campus to lend a voice to the protests in Egypt calling on President Mubarak to acquiesce to the demands of his citizens, turn mobile phone connections and internet back on, and stop visiting violence on peaceful protesters, and resign his position as president if he is unable to do so.

A reporter from the campus paper The Alestle came around at some point to interview the protesters. It was during this time in protest that we heard that President Mubarak had dissolved his government – an insufficient concession that doesn’t address any of the demands nor take the blame for thirty years of misrule. Among other hopes of the protesters on campus is that the United States which is Egypt’s biggest ally takes a stand with the people rather than with a dictator that has misruled a country for so long. History has shown that ambivalence in situations like this always benefits the oppressors and not the victims.

More protests are planned for St. Louis at the weekend, and at Egyptian embassies around the world.

Campus Students Protest was published on January 29th, 2011, with the tags , , , , , under the Observations category. There are currently 1 comment on this article so far.

350 At The White House

IMG_3691We went back to the White House today, this time to see the North side of the building. And it was there where we saw the 350 volunteers with placards demonstrating in front of the gate – under the watch of one police car – to petition the President of the United States to pay more attention to climate change, and to do the right thing at Copenhagen, in Denmark, where the conference on climate change would take place.

On the 350 Website, the mission states that “350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis–the solutions that science and justice demand.”

It continues: “Our focus is on the number 350–as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. But 350 is more than a number–it’s a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.

To tackle climate change we need to move quickly, and we need to act in unison—and 2009 will be an absolutely crucial year.  This December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to craft a new global treaty on cutting emissions. The problem is, the treaty currently on the table doesn’t meet the severity of the climate crisis—it doesn’t pass the 350 test.”

Anyway, it was night and freezing, and they had been there in front of the White House since the day began, calling attention and taking pictures to be sent all over the world. Nothing doing, we joined them holding candles and taking pictures with the 350 sign held up high. Here’s the freedom to assemble and protest as guaranteed under the US constitution, but is not afforded to millions of citizens in many around the world. Here was the seat of power, and yet here were citizens, making their presence with simple, dignified protests and demonstrations on climate change. We shared stories with them, exchanged contacts and ideas, and then made our way back home, again on foot in the freezing weather, but feeling much, much pleased.

You may follow 350 on Twitter.

350 At The White House was published on December 12th, 2009, with the tags , , , , , under the adventures, Fun, Observations category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.