About 150 supporters gathered at Price Center Plaza on April 16 to protest hate crimes following last week’s posting of a flyer linking a UCSD fraternity to the Ku Klux Klan around campus.
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“”I feel that this campus is my home and that it has been invaded upon,”” said Sixth College Council chair Chris Sweeten. “”Now it is time to take action and reclaim what is ours.””
The rally was held in protest to a flyer depicting the KKK look-alikes holding torches and nooses while standing in front of a cross. The greek letters of Sigma Chi are represented on the poster, along with text that reads, “”Don’t get caught hangin’!: Spring Rush 2003.”” The flyers were found in and around the Price Center, International House and Earl Warren College areas on April 10.
UCSD’s Sigma Chi chapter denied any involvement with the flyer at the event.
“”I want to make one thing clear, Sigma Chi had absolutely nothing to do with these illegal and ignorant acts,”” said Brad Hileman, president of the Iota Chi chapter of Sigma Chi. “”Sigma Chi and the rest of the Interfraternity Council are enraged that someone would commit a blatantly criminal act.””
According to Hileman, the incident is under investigation.
On April 11, Hileman released a statement to the student flyers e-mail listserve on behalf of the fraternity in response to the flyer.
“”The values for which our fraternity stand and the diversity in which it promotes and embraces directly oppose this intolerable message,”” Hileman said in the April 11 statement.
Speakers at the rally addressed the need for opposition to hate crimes at UCSD.
“”Somebody thinks it’s okay to post up flyers with the KKK on our campus,”” said Thurgood Marshall College sophomore Moneek Bhatia. “”This is a hate-free zone. We don’t need any of that.””
The rally keyed in upon other events the supporters found to be hateful. Bhatia spoke about how supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community were allegedly harassed at the “”Day of Silence”” event on April 9 by other students. Anti-war protesters on Library Walk were also harassed, Bhatia said.
Ethnic studies professor George Lipsitz stated that it is the members of the university who are obligated to educate the campus community about racial tolerance.
“”The people who are committing these hate crimes … have not been around enough people of color, enough gays and lesbians, enough people to know what the world looks like,”” Lipstiz said. “”They are provincial, they are parochial and we’re not going to hate — we’re going to educate.””
Other speakers at the event included the Freedom Writers, A.S. Vice President Internal Kevin Hsu and Marshall fifth-year Denise Pacheco.
