No money for war profiteers

BURLINGTON, Vt.--More than 200 students and community members attended a rally on the steps of the University of Vermont's (UVM) administration building on October 24 to protest the university's investment in war profiteers, military contractors and mercenary firms.

Members of the Students Against War, UVM's chapter of the Campus Antiwar Network, spoke out against the school's stock holding in corporations that profit from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Matt Howard, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, was a featured speaker.

Independent and progressive third-party candidates Anthony Pollina, who is running for governor; Chris Pearson, who is running for the state house of representatives; and state attorney general candidate Charlotte Dennett, also addressed the rally.

Speakers called on UVM to divest its stock holdings from companies like Halliburton, DynCorp, General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin that have a financial interest in the continuation of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.

At the height of the rally, all 200 participants marched into the administrative building to help turn in a divestment proposal to the university's board of trustees. After dropping off the proposal, the crowd marched back out to continue the rally, chanting, "We'll be back!"

The rally ended with the band State Radio performing an impromptu acoustic set in solidarity with protesters.