Antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan spoke on campus Tuesday about her opinions on the war in Iraq and the current administration, but was met by protest from a handful of students who called her stance anti-American and said UCLA should not use student-fee money for such a speaker.
Sheehan has been involved with antiwar activism since her son was killed in 2004 while serving in Iraq.
She gained notoriety and sparked controversy when in August 2005 she camped out near President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, in an attempt to discuss the war in Iraq with the president.
“I think that bringing the troops back would make Iraq more stable,” Sheehan said. “(Iraqis) all want the troops to leave. We should not be sitting here discussing what to do with Iraq, but should ask the Iraqis what they want to do with Iraq.”
She also encouraged students to travel to Cuba, and recounted her trip there this year when she visited the U.S. Guantanamo Bay Detention Center.
Guantanamo has drawn much controversy as the U.S. has been accused of torturing inmates. A recent military investigation turned up no evidence of the abuse of prisoners, and the State Department and Pentagon deny the allegations.
Sheehan said she spent time with an inmate who said he was tortured for two years until it was discovered he was not involved in the crime.
“I was there to protest what our country was doing with people,” she said.
But Sheehan said she still supports American troops.
“I am not anti-soldier. My son was a soldier, and my son was a hero. There are soldiers committing heroic events each day,” Sheehan said.
Nevertheless, some students said they felt Sheehan did not show enough support for the United States..
Barron Sawyer, a fourth-year philosophy student, protested outside Kerckhoff Grand Salon where Sheehan was speaking.
“UCLA does not support anti-Americanism,” read one protest sign.
“Cindy Sheehan has made a lot of outlandish statements about our country,” Sawyer said. “I find them very distasteful and surprising.”
Gregory Moeck, a fourth-year computer science student and chairman of the Bruin Republicans, also attended the protest and criticized Sheehan.
“Her position has been shown to be well outside the mainstream and unsubstantiated,” said Moeck of Sheehan’s comments about President Bush.
But Sawyer and Moeck said the real issue at hand was that Sheehan’s visit to UCLA was funded with student fees.
“Sheehan should be allowed to say what she wants to say, but I don’t think students should have to pay through the use of their student fees to listen to someone with an anti-American agenda,” Sawyer said.
Sheehan spoke as part of the Social Justice Speaker Series sponsored by the Undergraduate Students Association Council.
Samer Araabi, a USAC general representative, said Sheehan was invited because of the perspective she can offer.
“We asked Sheehan to come because she has an amazing story to tell and is very well renowned. She is capable of challenging people,” he said.
With reports from Annie Augustine, Bruin contributor, and Bruin wire services.