Rally at Pitt Planned

Pitt students are being asked to gather for a peaceful protest this evening. The event titled, “Oakland Unites for First Amendment Rights” was organized by several groups including the Pitt ACLU undergraduate student chapter. Chapter President Genevieve Redd says the buzz on campus is that, “Somebody has got to do something.” She says, “This is not OK. We are a community and our community was damaged and our community was hurt…. We can’t let this happen again.” Redd says the rally at 5:30 on the William Pitt Student Union patio and lawn will remain peaceful. To help ensure that goal is reached volunteer “Peace Guides” will be sprinkled throughout the crowd. Redd says the guides will be trained prior to the event. If anyone starts to act in a violent manner during the rally the peace guides are expected to walk up to him or her and ask him or her to either calm down or find another venue to vent their energy. Several students will be allowed to tell their personal stories of Thursday ad Friday night and to call on the university and the city to make sure this does not happen again. Redd says they will also be showing their support for the “innocent” Pitt students caught up in the rally and arrested. A petition calling for reconciliation will be passed around the rally.