Students Bring Two
Week Long Frist Filibuster to
Capitol to Protest
Nuclear Option on Judges
FilibusterFrist.com
from the Web, May 11, 2005
Washington, DC -– Scores of
college students will converge on the Capitol Reflecting Pool on Wednesday to
stage a 24 hour filibuster in protest of the “Nuclear Option” being considered
by Senate Republicans to end filibusters on controversial judicial nominees.
The mock filibuster, initiated two weeks ago by a group of Princeton University
students outside the Frist Campus Center, a building financed by a $25 million
gift from the Senate majority leader’s family, has been running round-the-clock
for over 300 hours and has attracted wide spread media attention.
With action on the nuclear option expected within days, Princeton students will
travel by bus to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday morning, joining area college
students and congressional leaders to continue their filibuster at the Capitol
Reflecting Pool within sight of Senator Frist’s Capitol office.
“This student-powered filibuster shows that progressive activism on college
campuses is strong and building. It also demonstrates the overwhelming
support for the 200 year-old institution of the Senate filibuster,” said Asheesh
Siddique, editor of the Princeton Progressive Review, one of the filibuster’s
sponsors. “Buoyed by the dedication of hundreds of Princeton University
students and other students across the nation, we are now bringing the fight for
a fair and independent judiciary directly to Senator Frist,” said Siddique.
The Princeton Progressive Review is one of fourteen of progressive college
papers across the country supported by Campus Progress, a new project of the
Center for American Progress.
The Washington mock filibuster will be a continuation of the original Princeton
protest, with students reading from texts that range from the Constitution and
the Declaration of Independence, to Shakespeare and physics texts.
Students from Howard University, Georgetown University, Trinity College, George
Washington University and American University will also take turns speaking over
the 24 hour filibuster.
The protest and its organizers have received coverage from CNN, MSNBC, Fox News,
ABC News, New York Times, Washington Post, UK Guardian, the popular blog Talking
Points Memo, and Air America Radio. A live Webcam, daily blog, and
schedule of special guests are available at FilibusterFrist.com
The student filibuster will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and will continue
throughout the night, ending at 11 a.m. Thursday with press conference and rally
with members of the House and Senate.
The event is also being supported by Campus Progress and Young People For a
project of People for The American Way.
Event Highlights:
Wednesday, May 11
9:00 a.m. (approximately) –- Princeton students arrive via bus at the Capitol
Reflecting Pool (3rd St SW & Maryland Ave SW)
Thursday, May 12
11:00 a.m. –- Rally and Press Conference with Members of Congress
News Release May 10, 2005
CONTACTS: Juan
Melli-Huber 609-468-0715, Pete Hill 614-397-3769
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