On this National Day of Action, the Students for the National Equality March (NEMstudents) call for an IMMEDIATE end to the discriminatory Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, as it denies students equal opportunity to participate in ROTC campus programs and gain access to student scholarships and grants. Students and youth will engage in a flash protest on Saturday, October 10, the day before the National Equality March. Exact details of time and location will be announced to participants by text message the morning of the protest-- and can be received by signing up for free at http://nemstudents.org.
Students for the National Equality March have sent out this press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dave Valk
dvalk@ucla.edu
949.350.8773
Students to Protest “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” During National Equality March
Los Angeles, CA, September 22 -- On Saturday, October 10, the day before the National Equality March (NEM), students will come together with service members organizations, including the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Servicemembers United, Knights Out, and the GW Veterans, to protest and call for an immediate end to the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, which denies students equal opportunity to participate in ROTC programs and gain access to grants and scholarships.
According to Dave Valk, student outreach coordinator for NEM, it will be a silent protest with participants wearing duct tape over their mouths. The protest will move to George Washington University where Lt. Dan Choi and other leaders will speak and ask participants to tear off the duct tape, "because we will no longer be silent on these issues."
"The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy is discriminatory, wasteful, and dangerous," said Valk. "The sight of thousands of young people protesting the policy in the streets of Washington will make it clear that the policy is doomed."
The call to action has received endorsements from over 100 student leaders, including the student body presidents of top universities.
“This is more than a student movement-- it's a civil rights movement,” said Valk.
Details of the protest, including the exact time and location to meet, will be announced to all participants by text message. Protest organizers will be working with NoH8Campaign.com to get more friends to sign up for this free service at http://NEMstudents.org.
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