WHO: Concerned Oklahomans and OU Students. This protest is endorsed by
the following organizations: (deadline to be an endorsing organization
is Thursday, Feb. 4)
WHAT: A peaceful demonstration against OU’s “CIA Officer in Residence Program”
WHEN: Demonstration from 3-4 p.m., with all participants encouraged to
then attend the scheduled “meet and greet” event with Mr. Don Hughes
(CIA officer in residence) from 4-5 p.m.
WHERE: Demonstration will happen in front of Hester Hall, the “meet
and greet” will happen in Hester Hall 160
WHY: To demonstrate against a known terrorist organization (the CIA)
being allowed to speak on campus at OU, given its long-standing
history of torture and political assassinations
FOR MORE INFORMATION: contact the Oklahoma chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, 405-46-OKNLG
GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPANTS: Please bring signs and banners to the
public demonstration outside of Hester Hall, but do not bring in any
kind of weapons or illegal drugs. Following the demonstration, those
who wish to do so are encouraged to go in Hester Hall to attend the
“meet and greet” event and express your concerns directly to attendees
and Mr. Hughes himself
BACKGROUND: In the fall of 2010, The University of Oklahoma announced
that Don Hughes was going to be posted on campus as the new “CIA
Officer in Residence.” (see
http://oudaily.com/news/2009/sep/16/new-cia-officer-residence-provides-practical-knowl/
)
According to the CIA, this program seeks “to broaden understanding of
national security intelligence and missions in an academic setting.”
Mr. Hughes told the OU student newspaper that he hopes to “give some
students a bit of a different picture about how bureaucracies work and
the tough decisions that you have to make. The work I’ll do is a
little more practical, a little bit less theoretical.”
One would presume that this would not include discussion of the CIA’s
long history of engaging in torture, political assassinations, and the
undermining of democratically elected governments around the world.
We the people of Oklahoma, have a duty and the right to make sure the
truth is heard. We must let those in power know that the CIA is not
welcome at OU.
For more information on OU CIA Officer in Residence Program:
http://www.ou.edu/content/dam/International/SIAS/Events/Don%20Hughes.pdf
http://www.kgou.org/community.php?id=19708
For recent information on the CIA’s torture programs:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Investigation/story?id=1322866
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/cia-secret-prison-found/story?id=9115978
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/15/AR2009031502724.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8006597.stm
