Week 5: Sushil Ravoori Section A02

Reading The Imperial University, by Piya Chattergee and Sunaina Maira exposed me for the first time to first-hand student accounts of the past student protests at UCSC and UC Davis. Piya mentions how surreal it was for her to witness the police using militaristic tactics in containing student protestors at UCSC. There were nonviolent student protestors, trying to peacefully protest tuition hikes by the UC Regents, and they were met with armed resistance. She describes it as a “performance of power”, which is a very apt explanation. The message from those in charge of the University System to students was obvious; They were in charge, and the students have no say in the operations of their own University. In many ways, this reminded me of the British Imperialistic society of the past. The students in this scenario seem no difference than the Indian people, let by Gandhi, who peacefully protested the British rule of India. In both scenarios, the “ruling power” used a display of military force on peaceful protestors, a “performance of power” to squash any further resistance. What is the most insane to me is that we do not live in an Imperialistic country. In the United States, some of our most celebrated human rights are the right to free speech, and freedom of assembly. It is using these means that the founding fathers had founded this country in the first place. My question is how can it possibly seem reasonable to university administrators to use military force to suppress student protests? I don’t understand how these people, supposedly of sound mind and conscience can even think of not only condoning, but directly requesting such behavior.

References:

1.Chatterjee, P., & Maira, S. (2014). The Imperial University. London: University of Minnesota Press.

2. City Hill Press. "Six Students Arrested during protest on Highway 17" [Image] Retrieved from http://www.cityonahillpress.com/2015/03/03/update-six-students-arrested-during-protest-on-highway-17/