ISLA VISTA / SANTA BARBARA, Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - About 350 anti-war activists met to rally at Pardall Tunnel, where they were addressed by speakers at an open microphone, including a man from Iraq and a former Marine-turned-organizer. Emotions ran high and alternated between intense anger against the war, sadness over the loss of life, and hope, joy, and optimism for the future. At times, feelings were tense, and the police helicopter circling overhead made an ominous presence. The demonstrators shortly proceeded to converge on UCSB's Corwin Pavilion with the goal of shutting down the 2008 ICB (Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies) Army-Industry Collaboration Conference.
Police attempted to barricade the event against the approaching students, but the crowd forced itself through police lines and dismantled blockades. Police appeared helpless to stop the flow of demonstrators, who proceeded to occupy the courtyard in front of the pavilion, where collaborators, some in business suits and others, more honestly, in military fatigues, had been in the midst of a lunch break. From the Newswire: 350 War Resistors Blockade and Disrupt UCSB Army/Industrial Conference - 3 Arrests | | Army Biotech Conference Disrupted by UCSB Antiwar Activists | | Follow-Up: UCSB Army Conference Totally Shut Down!
UCSB Antiwar Activists Disrupt Army Biotech Conference