Tuesday Times Roundtables

When they approached en mass (November 16, 2011), four to our seven, you can imagine the element of intimidation that was in play. No tents, sleeping, or staying past 9pm-8am, the police said. These arbitrary rules created with no written documentation to follow up their claims validity, were observed as a courtesy by the Occupy crew at FIU, though mediation with the General Counsel was required just to get a tent up as a protest symbol. The very idea of limiting the terms of free speech to a zone, then further limiting its parameters to a time frame is repugnant. These practices are of a subversive nature and should not be tolerated by the student body. In protest perhaps everyone conducting activities at FIU should use the word Occupy before their event to witness first hand the prejudice involved by the word alone.