Students for a Democratic Society members held a banner on Turlington Plaza calling for UF to demilitarize Wednesday.
Students held signs emblazoned with “Our campus is not a war zone” and “Schools don’t need soldiers” at the rally. The group was protesting UF’s participation in the Defense Department’s Excess Property program, also known as the 1033, a federal program that provides military-grade weapons to police forces.
The group handed out informational brochures and asked for student signatures to petition for UF to opt out of the program. The organization hopes to obtain 1,500 signatures for the petition.
Jonathan Waring, the organization’s president, spoke briefly at the rally. Waring, a 20-year-old UF Jewish studies sophomore, said the group does not believe University Police should have military-grade weapons. He said the program has been so controversial that the federal government has ordered an investigation of it.
“I really don’t think it’s in the public consciousness yet,” he said. “But I think if people do know about the program, they probably don’t know about the extent to which it reaches into our lives.”
About 66 institutions have M16 assault rifles from the 1033 program, according to The New York Times.
Waring said the organization became interested in the issue after the protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Waring said if its fight is successful on campus, the organization plans to tackle the issue at the city level.
The rally ended with the crowd chanting “opt out now” led by members of Students for a Democratic Society.
Tristan Worthington, a 19-year-old UF English sophomore, is a lead organizer for the group. Worthington said the organization hopes to raise awareness and help pressure the administration to opt out of the program.
“All across the nation we are experiencing and witnessing police brutality,” she said. “And it’s very unnerving, especially as students and activists who believe that we should make our voices heard and fight for the rights of our community.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 11/20/2014]
