Mishka Zena

I wasn’t there when the violence occurred this morning, but I was given this photo which was taken by Steve Vollmar during the episode of the Gallaudet security’s unreasonable use of excessive force with the campus protesters. 

                                          (if unable to see the image, click on this: dps)

I was told that this intimidating threat of using the pepper spray was done to a number of protesters, not just the one person partially shown in this photo. 

Frankly folks, I’m still reeling from the shock today.  Students faculty alumni and protesters in general are being traumatized — emotionally, mentally, as well as physically.   Yes, physically as well.  Students showed me the evidence of excessive police force, including their ripped shirts and injuries.  Litigation and expensive institutional liabilities are very real possibilities which could have been easily avoided. 

And for the Board of Trustees to invite groups of students and faculty under the pretext of engaging in dialogue while some absent members were, at the same time, actually in another building hosting a press conference announcing that the FSSA’s demands can’t be met, and that the BOT has “directed the Administration to do what is necessary both to assure (sic) the safety of our students and to allow the work of the university to proceed. . . It is the Administration’s responsibility to resolve the takeover of the Hall Memorial Building.  They have our confidence.”  If the BOT had had a shred of integrity, the BOT would have shared this press release with the invited groups of students and faculty instead of pretending that the BOT were still in the process of deliberating a plan of action. 

Yes, I fear for the students’ safety even more now that BOT has proclaimed its unsubstantiated support for DPS,  Gally’s police, 

despite the fact that BOT was apprised of the violence directly by Tara Holcomb’s moving emotionally-charged story of her assault and intimidation.  The BOT has announced repetitively its horrendously erroneous perception that it is powerless to meet the demands, without much-needed and requested elaboration why it feels disempowered. 

Folks, Gallaudet University needs a solution more than ever.  The BOT has failed to provide one.  The BOT has failed Gallaudet University.  The students remain in lockdown at HMB as of tonight.   I’m gravely worried and ask, at a minimum, that more alumni come to the aid of the students and protesters on campus.  Visit and ask how you can help.  You will be surprised how you can make a difference.

Reprinted with the permission by the author