Anonymous group of San Francisco State Students demonstrate on September 11th

The event began around noon on Tuesday September 11th, 2007. A group of students dressed in all black in order to demonstrate a state of solidarity and mourning while concentrating their attention on expressing an important message about post 9/11 bureaucracy and how it has affected them. They gathered in the grassy quad area near Malcolm X plaza with large banners and panels that had the names and photos of dead American Soldiers, as well as the names of dead Iraqi civilians and a faceless picture representing that person. After meeting on the grassy quad area the students began to march in a funeral like procession through campus. The demonstration was non-confrontational and did not engage any opposition in a shouting match while effectively catching the attention of administrators and other students. There was a simple drum beat that resounded loudly throughout campus and maintained a somber mood throughout the action. As the students marched towards the top of campus they decided to spend several minutes exposing their message to cars and pedestrians along the busy intersection of 19th Avenue and Holloway.

After silently presenting their message, the funeral procession with the banners, body bags, and flowers continued down through campus towards the Malcolm X plaza, the central hub of all activity on campus. As they approached the plaza the college Republicans and Democrats were issuing their love for America and asking the audience to pay tribute to the brave Americans that died on that "tragic day." The students marched into the plaza expressing an alternative message with the names and photos of Iraqi's and American's that died as a result of 9/11. The demonstration continued to be non-confrontational, however, hostility and tension began to grow as members of the World Can't Wait organization began to provoke the College Republicans by sitting on an American Flag with a swastika. The college Republicans began to express discontent towards the World Can't Wait members since they were dressed in all orange with masks over their face representing tortured victims. Soon after the group of students in the funeral procession arrived they kept a calm and maintained an important presence while the World Can't Wait and College Republicans began arguing in a shout match. The energy of the demonstration was channeled into this exchange of harsh words between both parties as they began to attack each other and other students became involved.

Sticking with the non-confrontational theme of the event, the group of students did not participate in the bitter fighting that ensued. Instead, members of the action decided to remain silent while students and administration passed by the powerful message indicating that each and every life that has been lost as a result of the war and American foreign policy is valuable.