Protestors expected to voice anti-Bush opinions tomorrow

Large crowds are expected gather in and around the Gantcher Center tomorrow: more than 2,000 people will come to hear former President George H.W. Bush deliver the Fares Lecture; hundreds of others will come to demonstrate their disapproval of his presidency and what they consider the University's implicit endorsement of war in Iraq.

Culminating weeks of planning, the anti-Bush demonstration will begin with a rally in Davis Square at 1:30 before protestors march to Gantcher in time for the start of Bush's lecture, scheduled for 4:30.

Members of Tufts Coalition Against War in Iraq (TCOWI) have been planning the rally and subsequent march with the help of people and activist organizations unaffiliated with the University. The organizers intend to raise awareness of what they believe Bush represents and inform students of the negative aspects of his administration's policies.

Joseph Ramsey, a graduate student in English and TCOWI organizer, expects as many as 1,000 people to attend the protest outside Gantcher. Word has spread through activist websites, and organizers have sought to include both local residents and students in their opposition. Ramsey expects students from Harvard, Boston University, and Boston College to be present.

The opposition to Bush's invitation to Tufts is almost entirely related to the anti-war movement, and protestors cite continuity between the administration of George W. Bush and that of his father, which ended just over a decade ago.

Speculation about what protesters might do inside of Gantcher is widespread, but there seems to be little consensus among activists. Most refuse to discuss their plans and it would appear that there is no concerted movement.

Students suggested a variety of protests methods at meetings earlier this semester, including wearing a certain color, walking out of the speech, and sitting with their backs towards Bush.

It is also possible that smaller groups of individuals might be planning more disruptive forms of protest, although there is no indication of what they will be doing or who they might be. Some students suggested standing in the aisles of Gantcher facing away from Bush, although the rules attached to lecture tickets prohibit attendees from standing during the lecture or leaving their seat. Signs and banners will also be banned from the center -- a change from two years ago, when General Colin Powell's speech to the University was disrupted by vocal demonstrators.

Whatever their method of choice, Ramsey was confident that protestors would achieve their goal of raising awareness.

Anti-Bush activists said that by inviting Bush, the University has implied that it supports war in Iraq. Many of them mentioned the names of proponents of war in the present administration, such as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, who were also members of the administration that conducted the Gulf War in 1991.

"Inviting him to the University at this time sends the wrong signal out to the world," said Physics Professor Gary Goldstein, the founder of TCOWI.

Junior Ariana Flores, another TCOWI member, feels similarly. "If that wasn't the message [the administration] was trying to convey, they also did nothing to counteract that impression," she said.

But Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said that Bush's lecture is "not meant to be an endorsement of any particular position."

Bush critics have also complained that the University's policy of screening questions for Bush by requiring them to be submitted in advance via Tufts' public relations website violated their right to free speech.

"Tufts brings [Bush] here in such a way so as to marginalize any opposing viewpoint," Ramsey said. "We are committed to making sure that it is made clear that there is a strong opposition to the view of foreign policy that is being supported by the University by inviting Bush in this way and screening him."

The administration justifies the policy by citing incidents when Colin Powell spoke two years ago. But Freshman Laurel Powers, a member of the Coalition for Social Justice and Nonviolence, said that the administration was censoring people. "If they want an honest audience feedback there should be no screening," she said.

Reitman defended the lecture's format, saying that all voices have a right to be heard but not necessarily at the same time. "We don't have an obligation to ensure that every presentation has two sides," he said, adding that people opposing the war have had many opportunities to present their views on campus.

But some have argued that the structured dialogue takes away from the educational mission of the lecture. "This person was invited here presumably as an educational event, but this is hardly a way to engage in intellectual discussion," Goldstein said.

Recently, many people have been questioning the purpose of the Fares Lecture Series and the selection of the speakers. "Why aren't we getting people from organizations that do good?," Flores asked. "Why is the pool limited to [Fares'] friends? That's not diversity of thought."

When he comes tomorrow, it will be the second time that George Bush visits Tufts as the Fares Lecturer: he was also invited in 1994. According to Goldstein, he was a contentious choice then as well, and there was a "similarly large amount of people protesting."

Powers expressed concern that Tufts does not have a large enough role in the selection process, saying that "if we just allow him to come here, we're allowing ourselves to be represented that way."

For Goldstein, the series seems "to be more concerned with establishing ties with businessmen and important political figures. It is an opportunity for people to sit down and network."

But President Larry Bacow has defended the choice of speaker and recently told the faculty that "it is an interesting time to have [Bush] here."

Organizers have not been soothed by Bacow's words but do not believe that there will be any conflict with security forces outside of the event.

The Pachyderm, Tufts' student handbook, states that the University "respects the rights of members of the Tufts community to peaceful and unobstructive demonstration."