GMU Student Arrested for Speaking his Mind

On September 29th, just five days after the anti-war march in DC, Tariq Khan, a student from George Mason University was brutalized, arrested, and taken to Fairfax Country Jail for passing out anti-military-recruitment flyers on his campus. Four days later on October 3rd, GMU held a rally in support of Tariq Khan to drop all charges made against him. YLSN staff and members attended the rally. It was a huge turn out. About 200 students, youth, and community members attended. Tariq spoke of his experience, the importance of informing young people of the reality about joining the military, and that youth and students should not be treated as “terrorists” when they are speaking their mind.

YLSN youth organizer, Sheila Mirza spoke of her experience with police and airport security always stopping her for “random checking”. She performed her well known poem, “Terrorist”. Meanwhile, campus security stood on a rooftop across from the clock-tower, where the rally was held, to video tape the entire event.