Police Arrest Over 100 Gallaudet Protesters
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
October 13, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC--Friday night, District of Columbia Police and Gallaudet University campus police arrested more than a hundred student protesters that for three days had blockaded Gallaudet University, the nation's only 4-year liberal arts college for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Two weeks earlier a coalition of Gallaudet students, staff, faculty and alumni renewed protests that had ended with the school year last May, over the appointment of the school's provost Jane Fernandes to be president when I. King Jordan retires in December.

The demonstrators say Fernandes is not competent to run Gallaudet, is not proficient in sign language, and does not have the temperament to represent the deaf community. They also protested the selection process for not including enough student or faculty input.

About 200 students barricaded themselves inside an administrative building for several days last week, calling for Fernandes to resign.

Students formed a human chain at the campus gates on Wednesday, keeping vehicles from entering or exiting, until they were arrested Friday night under Jordan's order. As police arrested one protester, another reportedly stepped in to take that person's place in the human chain.

Throughout the siege, Fernandes has continued to refuse to step down.

Gallaudet officials said classes would resume on Monday.

Related:
"Police arrest of protesters at Gallaudet" (Washington Examiner)
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/06/red/1012a.htm

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Reproduced here under special arrangement with Inclusion Daily Express international disability rights news service.
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