Several Georgetown student groups plan to protest on Wednesday when Chris Simcox, president of the anti-illegal immigration group inuteman Civil Defense Corps, comes to campus to deliver a speech.
Student are already organizing opposition to the event, which is sponsored by the Lecture Fund and comes less than a month after a raucous protest disrupted a speech at Columbia University by Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, another anti-illegal immigration organization separate from the MCDC.
The Minuteman Project and MCDC patrol the U.S.-Mexico border for immigrants crossing illegally, and report them to U.S. Border Patrol agents. Critics have charged that the groups are racist and use radical methods.
Students from MEChA de Georgetown, Georgetown Solidarity Committee and the Latin American Student Association have met recently to discuss protests and other events they will hold in response to Simcox’s speech, said Jason Resendez (SFS ’08), MEChA’s public relations officer. Resendez said that the groups will provide information to attendees at the speech and sponsor speakers in Red Square offering a different perspective on immigration.
Approximately 70 students attended a meeting Wednesday night in the Intercultural Center to discuss forms of opposition.
Resendez said that MEChA heard of the event informally last semester and is planning a peaceful “two-pronged” response to the speech. He said that MEChA is encouraging its members to attend the event and ask challenging questions, rather than be violent or disruptive.
“If [Simcox] says anything offensive, we’ll get up and walk out,” he said.
About two dozen students and other guests at Columbia University stormed the stage during Gilchrist’s speech on Oct. 4, leading to onstage violence and an abrupt end to the speech.
But protest planners say they do not anticipate violent reactions to the group akin to those at Columbia.
“We don’t expect anything like Columbia to happen,” Resendez said.
Susana Quintero (COL ’08), MEChA’s vice executive, said that the group is encouraging its members to attend the event.
Lecture Fund Chairman Mike Jurist (SFS ’07) said that the event planners will be mindful of student actions at Columbia when preparing for next week’s speech, but will not be dissuaded from holding the event. He said that he has met with students who are planning protests in hopes that they will abide by the university’s Speech and Expression Policy.
“We hope that, by being proactive, people on both sides will adhere to the policy,” Jurist said.
The policy says that “any activity that disrupts or obstructs the functions of the university” are not included within the right of free speech and expression.
“Peaceful and non-disruptive demonstrations are of course allowed,” university spokesman Erik Smulson said.
Resendez said that the MCDC policies violate human rights.
“The way he manifests his ideologies are unjust and inhumane,” Resendez said.
Jurist said that Simcox will offer an important perspective on immigration.
“We recognize that it’s a controversial group, but the Minutemen have played a major role in the national immigration debate,” Jurist said.
Smulson said that expanded security will be provided for the event to prevent any unanticipated disruptions.
“We are working with the sponsors to make sure there are appropriate security provisions for the event,” he said.