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Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 09:37:43 AM EST
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Campus protesters have scored a big victory in New York.

A planned CIA recruiting event at New York University (NYU) was canceled after the Campus Antiwar Network (CAN) called a protest demanding the CIA abandon its recruiting program at NYU. Twenty hours before the recruiting event was scheduled to begin, its organizers sent an e-mail to all those who had registered, headlined, "The CIA Speaker Event scheduled for Thursday, March 31 @6PM has been CANCELED due to the possibility of a protest by the Campus Antiwar Network."

The CIA only planned recruiting events at two universities this semester, perhaps in an attempt to test the waters before jumping in:

This alliance between the university and the CIA to market CIA employment on campus is taking place at only two universities this semester: NYU and the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA). Students at both schools have rallied in protest against the program.

"We believe they're testing the waters to see how brazenly they can recruit on campuses without encountering student opposition, before spreading programs like this to colleges across the country," said Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, a senior at NYU and member of the Campus Antiwar Network. "Forcing them to cancel their big speaking event is a huge victory. It showed them they can't market an agency that supports torture and murder around the world without a fight."

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    Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU | 46 comments (46 topical)
    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 09:54:04 AM EST
    I am confused how protesting the recruiting process will benefit anyone. We need our best and brightest (that includes students from the NYU) to make the CIA better and improve upon its poor record over the past couple of years. Is the government to never recruit on a college campus? If one thinks so I would have to disagree. We need promising young minds in Washington now more than ever.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#2)
    by scarshapedstar on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:11:05 AM EST
    Well, let's see. At this point, you either believe that the CIA is a puppet of the white house or that they maliciously decieved our otherwise infallible dear leader. Why would anyone want new CIA recruits?

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#3)
    by roy on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:16:09 AM EST
    I think that protests like this are kind of sleazy; it's an attack against job-seeking students as much as against the CIA. But, it's sort of a counterattack. Fedgov has been whittling away lawful protests for decades, so I guess a sleazy protest is fair.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#5)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:21:10 AM EST
    I applaud the students. It's their school, if they don't want spooks on campus, it's their right to protest their presence.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:25:12 AM EST
    I went to the same high school as Liz, and I think she's only a year younger than I am. It's good to see she's still causing trouble and giving the higher ups a hard time. Plus she's got a great name, especially on this wonderful opening day.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#7)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:26:18 AM EST
    What "good person" would join such an organization? Assasinations, black-ops, third world coups...it's not a business for "good people", but for "bad guys". I'm reminded of an old dub track, the singer escapes me...."Rastaman no work for the DEA, no way...Scotland Yard, KGB, neither the CIA." I say again, "good people" become teachers, nurses, carpenters....not spooks.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:30:38 AM EST
    I agree with GregZ that we need our best and brightest. However Greg, a key factor is recruitment of the best and brightest with a sense of humanity. No one believes that cancelling a public recruiting event at 2 top schools will stop the process. The message conveyed, through protest, is that the best and the brightest also have the courage to disagree with policies that only benefit a few, at the expense of much of the world. The short term risks of the best and brightest running afoul of right-wing policies, may put their short-term earning potential in jeopardy. The reward, however, would be avoiding future 9-11's and Iraq/Afgan wars. So Greg, the idea is not to have an agency that can be better at covertly spying to further imperialism; but to have agencies with policies that foster humanitarian inclusion without economic exploitation. Certainly that is a worthy challenge, on behalf of our worlds well being, for our best and brightest. I hope we can count on you Greg as being part of that group. Note: You may want to review John Perkins: "Confessions of an Economic Hitman", as a basic primer.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#9)
    by roy on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:31:16 AM EST
    kdog, You should be glad there have been "bad guys" around, otherwise all your "good people" would be speaking French, Spanish, German, and Russian. (20% sarcasm by volume)

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:42:38 AM EST
    Now, now Roy, There is nothing inherently wrong with speaking a different language. I think you would agree though, there is something inherently wrong with policies that inhibit the freedom of choice and self determination. For instance, I may not agree with your sentiment of aligning oneself with so-called "bad guy" policies, but I would fight along side of you, for your right to express yourself. If another country with bigger guns or a bigger economy came to our shores to force regime change, we might also be referred to as insurgents for resisting the process.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:53:59 AM EST
    If another country with bigger guns or a bigger economy came to our shores to force regime change, we might also be referred to as insurgents for resisting the process.
    Thank you icon...hopefully the Mexican's would still be crossing our border to aid said insurgency! Let the CIA recruit where and who they will. HOWEVER, if a little protest stops them dead in their tracks, what hope do we have for the CIA standing up to terrorism (a really big protest, in some people's opinion?).

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:58:48 AM EST
    From CounterRecruiter.net: On Thursday the Central Intelligence Agency cancelled a planned event at New York University after activists with the Campus Antiwar Network announced plans to stage a protest. The CIA is involved in a little-known marketing program at NYU and the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA). The Agency is funding a program where business students develop a marketing plan to help improve the CIA's success in on-campus recruiting. On this pilot project, the CIA is also working the private marketing company EdVenture Partners which has previously worked with the National Security Agency and State Department. "The Collegiate Marketing Program is designed to give students hands-on training about the fundamentals of marketing," reported the Pan American, the student newspaper at the University of Texas. "The idea is that students recruit students for the CIA." In Texas, the program generated controversy because the marketing students had asked professors -- primarily in the departments of Middle Eastern studies and Asian studies -- to use class time to survey students about their attitudes toward the CIA. In a recent report, the Austin Chronicle pointed out that the EdVenture Partners' Web site makes it clear that education is not its only goal: "Students receive an unparalleled educational experience they will put in their resumes, and you leave with what every marketer dreams of ... Results – developed by the target audience for the target audience." ... More

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 10:59:55 AM EST
    My take on it is this: We don't like what the CIA is doing. We think their operations are illegal and immoral. But we do think that sometime in the future we will need a CIA. Until the CIA acts within the boundaries of what we declare right, we will protest, disrupt, and agitate against the CIA as much as we please.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#14)
    by kdog on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:00:51 AM EST
    Save the rhetoric roy...you say the CIA has protected us all these years, I say they caused a lot of the threats we now face. Besides, I credit the two large oceans to our left and right for our continued English speaking, not some phantom govt. agency.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:06:21 AM EST
    So you'll call it a good job if "protest warriors" disrupt recruiters for a peace group? How is disrupting a voluntary action a good thing? This is just nasty - and in no way is it praise-worthy

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:10:08 AM EST
    Will they have to sign a loyalty oath to this administration in order to become a spook? I would think that, considering the practices currently engaged in by this cabal, that you would not necessarily get the best and brightest going out of their way to sign up with this organization.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:18:06 AM EST
    I agree with you James. A protest should not disrupt voluntary action. If I understand it correctly, the cancellation nullified the actual protest. So why do you think the event was cancelled? It certainly is a good idea to have an exchange of ideas. The goal would be for a better truth, and a path to better ideals. After all, if it were not for protest for freedom, we would still be a collection of colonies.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:29:37 AM EST
    I'm just amused that the quoted member of CAN is named "Wrigley-Field." Heh.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:34:06 AM EST
    The rabble win the day and democracy takes a hit. The rabble would be the first to shriek that their rights were trampled if this were done to them. Hypocrites. The students' rights were violated and the perps should be charged. Next time they can petition their legislators like everyone else.

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#20)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:45:42 AM EST
    Doctor Ace your comment brings up a good question. Do decisions about democratic concerns come from a grass roots level, or is for legislative overlords that trump the process? For instance, after the recruiting event was scheduled and correspnding protests planned...were the students consulted when it was decided to cancel the recruiting venue?

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 11:53:04 AM EST
    kdog - Students do dumb things all the time. Stopping doing them is called "growing up." Something I invite you to consider. The Left led the charge in the 70's to change the CIA, and in the process, gravely disabled it. Yet that same Left complained bitterly that we didn't have good information on what was happening in the ME. (:Tom:) They will have to sign an oath to serve and protect the constitution. Would that be a problem for you? teran1212 writes - "Until the CIA acts within the boundaries of what we declare right,..." Given that we live in a constututional republic with democrtatic insitutions, and given that we have a representative government that is properly elected... What possible right do you have to try and contardict an effort to improve the defense of the country?

    Re: Protest Stops CIA Recruiting Event at NYU (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Apr 04, 2005 at 12:01:42 PM EST
    The CIA is not perfect. That is all the more reason for sensible people to start working t