Support Students Racially Profiled and Brutally Arrested at Campus Anti-War Protest!

<img src="http://indybay.org/imcenter/colin_powell_fri_22_cc.jpg" align="right" width="200" hspace="5"> Last month CODEPINK, South Bay Mobilization, ANSWER, De Anza College students, faculty and others participated in a three day protest against former Secretary of State Colin Powell at De Anza College Flint Center in Cupertino. On November 11, 2005, eight students were arrested at the event; one student was arrested inside the hall for disrupting Powell's speech. The seven youth arrested outside were all youth of color. They were singled out and brutally arrested though they had not broken any law. Santa Clara County Sheriffs claim two of the students committed felonies though there were numerous witnesses who have stated the law enforcements claims are false.
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The arrests seem to have been motivated by religious and racial profiling as six were visibly dressed Muslim students and one was an African American graduate student. A police officer present at the protest interviewed by a reporter said, <i>"Many officers associate such garb to terrorists because of the training videos they see in which 'terrorists prepare themselves for Jihad and martyrdom.'"</i>
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The arrestees from the protest against Colin Powell, who have come to be known as the De Anza 8, their lawyer, and community groups will hold a <b>press conference on December 12 at 5:00pm outside the Office of Human Relations of Santa Clara County located at 1880 Prunridge in Santa Clara (<a target="_blank" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1880+Pruneridge,+Santa+Clara,+CA+95050&iwloc=A&hl=en">map)</b> protesting the racial profiling that occurred on November 11, 2005. They are demanding that the charges against the De Anza 8 be dropped. Over 1,500 letters have been delivered to Santa Clara County District Attorney George Kennedy demanding that the charges against the youth be dropped. (Send an on-line message via ANSWER)
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<b>More coverage and information on how you can help</b>: <b>
Students Arrested at Powell Protest Accuse Police of Targetting Muslims</b> || <b>South Bay Mobilization</b> || <b>American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee - San Francisco</b> || <b>Colin Powell De Anza College Resistance Blog</b>