May 24, 2000
In February 1998, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Secretary of Defense William Cohen, and National Security Adviser Sandy Berger held a "town meeting" (see also this page) at Ohio State University to rally public support for a new round of bombing of Iraq. Despite the administration's careful orchestration of the event, the officials were repeatedly embarrassed by sharp questions from the audience about the devastating impact of economic sanctions on the Iraqi people, and the double standards inherent in US foreign policy in the Middle East. The Ohio State "town meeting" was a symbol that the anti-sanctions movement, long tiny and isolated, had come of age.
This May, protesters at the commencement ceremonies of George Washington University and UC-Berkeley took the movement to a new level of militancy. In Washington Sunday, dozens of activists handed out "Unofficial Commencement Ceremony Supplements," prepared by George Washington university professor Thomas Nagy, listing "the top ten reasons to cheer" commencement speaker Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Among them: "Albright's sanctions have killed half a million Iraqi kids under the age of five" and "Albright's sanctions have destroyed the educational system of Iraq." Secret Service personnel prohibited protesters with posters and banners from entering the seating area for the commencement, held at the Ellipse, a large outdoor venue on the Mall. Albright entered the Ellipse in her car, hiding her head in the lap of a Secret Service agent and covering it with her hands, according to an eyewitness.
Albright was likely haunted by her raucous reception at Berkeley on May 10, where protesters targeted her as a symbol of murderous US policies toward Iraq, Colombia and the former Yugoslavia. The protest brought together members organizations like the International Action Center, the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Muslim Student Association, Muslims for Global Peace and Justice and the Arab Women's Solidarity Association, in addition to graduates who felt insulted that they were expected to celebrate their achievements with a woman so gravely compromised by her role in perpetuating sanctions.
Heavy Security Dampens Free Speech
The protest began at noon with a rally at UC-Berkeley's Sproul Plaza, where activists from various ideological backgrounds gave speeches aimed at educating the public about sanctions which have severely damaged Iraq's social and economic infrastructure, caused food, water and medicine shortages and killed more than 500,000 Iraqi children according to UNICEF studies. Some highlighted the use of depleted uranium munitions by US and British forces which has been linked to increases in leukemia and other cancers. Others drew attention to the ongoing US bombings of Iraq that are largely ignored by the US media.
After the rally, protesters marched to the Greek Theater where the commencement was to take place at 4:00 PM. By the time the theater doors opened at 2:00, picketing protesters were chanting slogans such as, "Albright, Albright, You Can't Hide, We Charge You with Genocide," and "1-2-3-4, We Don't Want Your Dirty War, 5-6-7-8, End the Sanctions, End the Hate." Gradually, area filled with reporters. When Albright's car entered the vicinity, she could not exit the car without a group of security guards to help her scurry behind stage.
While many protesters made it into the ceremony, others remained outside awaiting Albright's exit. Security guards posted at entry points searched bags and bodies, confiscating fliers and leaflets, and also newspapers and literature unrelated to the protest. Even the orange armbands that protesters and their allies wore were confiscated. Some wearing orange armbands were not allowed to enter the theater at all. As guests took their seats, security guards began tearing down signs and banners that made their way into the theater. They even tore down a banner that said, "We Love You Fadia," which a group of students made as a gesture of friendship and congratulations to the Palestinian-American university medalist who was to sit on stage. An airplane flew overhead, pulling a sign that read, "End Sanctions on Iraq," but disappeared within minutes.
Raising a Ruckus
When the ceremony began, every person on stage stood up to greet Madeleine Albright, but Fadia Rafeedie remained in her seat. She held her hands to herself as Albright passed by shaking hands.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the university pulled a fast one on Fadia and the protesters. At least a month beforehand, the university had told Fadia that she would speak before Albright. Fadia had spent nights on end preparing a speech that would only make sense if she presented it before Albright spoke. The commencement program listed Albright's name after Rafeedie's. But abruptly, university officials announced that Albright would speak first. Chancellor Robert Berdahl introduced Albright as "the greatest woman of our time."
One by one, protesters began yelling slogans: "End the sanctions now!" "You're a murderer!" "You have blood on your hands!" Security began removing protesters from the theater seconds after they opened their mouths. Some were taken by force (one Egyptian-American woman is still suffering from a twisted arm).
Albright tried to maintain her composure, although she could not say two words without interruption. She delivered a conventional speech, speaking of the US government's concern for peace, human rights and democracy. Albright declared, "Our initiatives on women are part of a larger strategy for bringing the world closer together around basic principles of democracy and the rule of law. It's why we support debt relief for the world's poorest countries, and speak out against violations of human rights whether they occur in China or Chechnya, Serbia or Afghanistan," protesters screamed "Liar!" The University of California reported that 59 individuals were forcibly evicted from the theater that afternoon. That number could easily have doubled had her speech lasted longer.
Throughout her speech, Albright tried to deflect the protests with humor, claiming, "I'm so glad to be at Berkeley!" Albright referred to Berkeley's history of political activism and free speech, trying to reduce the protesters to a decoration on the landscape. At George Washington Sunday, she made a similarly dismissive reference to the protest, saying "I know there are some who are unhappy I was chosen, and I can understand why. If I were a graduate, I would have asked for Denzel Washington or Tom Cruise." Though Albright received a standing ovation, at the end of her Berkeley speech, security hustled her offstage immediately and escorted her lying face down on the back seat of her car off campus.
Special security attention was directed at the Arab and Muslim protesters. The security personnel standing near the practicing Muslim protesters clearly outnumbered the guards in any other area of the theatre. Some guests shouted, "Shut up!" and "Go back to Iraq!" at a group of Arab protesters sitting in front of them.
For further information on the conditions in Iraq, visit the following URLs:
1) MERIP Press Information Note #9, "Democracy Cannot Be Manufactured at Foggy Bottom or the Pentagon," An Interview with Representative Cynthia McKinney Concerning the Situation in Iraq (October 21, 1999)
2) MERIP Press Information Note #7, "Unicef Establishes Blame in Iraq" (September 21, 1999)
3) Education for Peace in Iraq Center
4) American Friends Service Committee
5) Student Peace Action Network (SPAN)
6) International Action Center (IAC)
7) Iraq Action Coalition
Distributed by:
Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) Press Information Note (PIN) #21
Ghassan Bishara, Director
Media Outreach and Policy Analysis Project
Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP)
1500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Ste. 119
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202/223-3677
email: gkbishara@merip.org
