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Students Protest Bush & Pombo |
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By: Erin Birmingham
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Tuesday, October 03, 2006 |
On the morning of Tuesday, October 3, 2006 nearly 100 people met across the street from the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium where President Bush attended a $250-a-plate breakfast event. They were there to protest the re-election of Tracy Rep. Richard Pombo and the Bush regime.
There were over 30 Pacific students in attendance at the protest. A few were there to support Bush, but the majority were there to represent their disapproval of Bush and Pombo.
Attendants of the breakfast starred from across the street as the crowd chanted messages like, “No More War”, “Bring the Troops Home”, and “Dump Pombo” while waving signs. People distributed McNerney for Congress signs, as McNerney is running against Pombo in the upcoming election.
Protesters were kept across the street behind a waist high fence. Riot police sternly faced the protesters while a few Policemen on horses patrolled back and forth. They allowed the protest to proceed without much intervention.
However, one student had his sign confiscated for profanity. It read, “With a Dick and Bush in the White House everyone gets F***ed”. One man with a flag on a flag poll was required to remove the flag from the poll and the poll was confiscated. Sticks and polls were not allowed for safety purposes.
Many news stations were in attendance such as Fox News and NBC. They interviewed students and other attendees. However the Fox News correspondent was verbally harassed and, clearly upset by the situation, left abruptly.
 Around 30 Pacific students gathered to protest President Bush's visit.
Most of the students were there for the same reasons:
Sophomore Megan Mullen said, “I’m here to protest Bush and Pombo- I don’t think they are right. I disapprove of Bush’s hatred, bigotry and intolerance. I think the war in Iraq is unjust and that we have not accomplished any of our goals there. We had no reason to go in the first place.”
Sophomore Micaela Klaus said, “I’m here to protest the lies and censorship—and the transition from a democracy to a tyrannical empire”
Senior Brenda Insurriaga said, “I feel like we need to show our disapproval of how our government is being run by the President and Pombo. They are violating our civil rights and I want to see it stop”.
Senior Selene Trujillo said, “I am here because there are a lot of people not here-- the members of the Latino Community couldn’t make it and I am here to represent them”.
Josh Foster, President of the Young Democrats, was in attendance and explained that the Young Democrats brought around 20 people to the protest.
Two students were there to support President Bush, Junior Mindy Marvin and Sophomore Scott Akers. They said that, “we just thought it was important to have both sides here. We are here to voice the opposition because we feel it is important and we wanted to show our support”.
 (Left to right) Marie Espinosa-Ramirez, Micela Klaus, Meghan Mullen and Andrea Palley pose with their protest signs.
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