ASU student gov sends out 'list of ways to help the BLM movement'
Some resources included petitions to "Defund MPD" and "Free Palestine."
The ASU Council of Presidents promoted a slew of radical BLM resources and encouraged students to support the movement.
In the wake of protests across the country and the tragic death of George Floyd, the student government at Arizona State University sent a schoolwide email encouraging students to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Council of Presidents at ASU promoted a slew of radical BLM and anti-racism resources to students. The email says, “your voice can take on different forms, from dialogue, to protesting, to contacting your state officials.” At the end of the correspondence, the COP includes “resources for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.”
Among these resources are an “exhaustive list of ways to help the BLM movement” and “anti-racism resources.”
The link to the “exhaustive list of ways to help the BLM movement” includes information on how to “delete your digital footprint,” “spot undercover cops,” the contact information for pro-bono lawyers, and political petitions like “Defund MPD” and “Free Palestine.”
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The site claims that “many white supremacist groups are creating fake protests and your life could be in danger,” and warns visitors to refrain from sharing “pictures or videos including protestor’s faces or identifying features,” because the police WILL fine and charge them.”
The link to “anti-racism resources” is intended “to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work”. Among the information included in the site are links to the debunked 1619 Project and “Resources for white parents to raise anti-racist children.”
The email sent by the COP also mentioned the death of Dion Johnson, a 28-year-old who was shot and killed by a Department of Public Safety trooper in Arizona, according to ABC 15. Johnson was allegedly found sleeping when the trooper arrived. The FBI is set to review evidence in his case for “potential federal civil rights violations.”
“I understand that they want to provide resources to students in this difficult time for our nation, but I was very disappointed in their encouragement to students to donate to organizations and causes that are, at best, questionable and violent in nature,” Joseph Pitts, a sophomore studying business law at ASU, told Campus Reform.
“We must be united now more than ever. I truly hope that this was the result of an overzealous intern and a lack of proof-reading on behalf of the Council of Presidents, said Pitts. “But if it was not, the Council of Presidents must be held accountable for its tacit endorsement of lawlessness. And if it was a matter of simple ignorance, then I recommend these Presidents start taking their job seriously or resign. Times like these call out for level-headed leaders, not social justice majors,.”
Arjun Rondla, a sophomore studying political science at ASU, told Campus Reform that uniting around George Floyd does not excuse using university resources to advance “personal politics.”
“While we should be unified by recent events—Sun Devils of all races and political persuasions are rightfully horrified at George Floyd’s killing at the hands of police—the Council of President’s decision to email students links to stories about illegal immigration, how to support boycotting Israel, and the New York Times’ 1619 Project (the subject of much criticism on its historical accuracy) show that the Council of Presidents is either complicit in acknowledging their political bias, purposefully using their position to further their personal politics, or did not look at the links they were sending to tens of thousands of ASU students,” said Rondla.
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