UC Santa Barbara students protest university for hosting Army research conference
Reported by: Kory Raftery
Tuesday, February 12, 2008: Students at UC Santa Barbara in the US take to the streets over U.S. involvement in the Iraq war.
For the second straight year, hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and community members protested at Pardall Tunnel.
Both this year and last, the protests are a direct response to an Army research conference at UCSB.
The 2008 Army-Industry Collaboration Conference is a two day conference hosted by UCSB's Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies.
Some students on the campus say they are upset because they say the university is aiding military efforts in Iraq.
An event organizer says the UC system is about letting taxpayers know what is going on inside of universities in California. "We know what they're up to. They should think about it before planning events that are against the UC's motto, 'Let There Be Light,'" an event organizer said.
Protesters say in addition to the Iraqi war, they want to raise awareness for women's rights, climate change, and what they call 'acts of genocide' happening in Darfur.
Last year the protest shut down part of Highway 217 near UCSB. That didn't happen this year.
This year, students say their main slogan for the protest is quote, "No more blood for oil."
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