May 10, 2005
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Princeton Students: Juan Melli-Huber: 609-468-0715; Pete Hill: 614-397-3769
Georgetown Law Student: Jenny Cieplak: 202-256-7082
Washington, DC – Scores of college students will converge on the Capitol Reflecting Pool on Wednesday to stage a 24 hour filibuster in protest of the "Nuclear Option" being considered by Senate Republicans to end filibusters on controversial judicial nominees.
The mock filibuster, initiated two weeks ago by a group of Princeton students outside the Frist Campus Center at Princeton University, a building financed by a $25 million gift from the Senate majority leader's family, has been running round-the-clock for over 300 hours and has attracted wide spread media attention.
With action on the nuclear option expected within days, Princeton students will travel by bus to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday morning, joining area college students and congressional leaders to continue their filibuster at the Capitol Reflecting Pool within sight of Senator Frist's Capitol office.
"This student-powered filibuster shows that progressive activism on college campuses is strong and building. It also demonstrates the overwhelming support for the 200 year-old institution of the Senate filibuster," said Asheesh Siddique, editor of the Princeton Progressive Review, one of the filibuster's sponsors. "Buoyed by the dedication of hundreds of Princeton University students and other students across the nation, we are now bringing the fight for a fair and independent judiciary directly to Senator Frist," said Siddique. The Princeton Progressive Review is one of fourteen of progressive college papers across the country supported by Campus Progress, a new project of the Center for American Progress.
The Washington mock filibuster will be similar to the original Princeton protest, with students reading from texts that range from the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, to Shakespeare and physics texts. Students from Howard University, Georgetown University, Trinity College, George Washington University and American University will also take turns speaking over the 24 hour filibuster.
The protest and its organizers have received coverage from CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ABC News, New York Times, Washington Post, UK Guardian, the popular blog Talking Points Memo, and Air America Radio. A live Webcam, daily blog, and schedule of special guests will be available at FilibusterFrist.com
The student filibuster will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and will continue throughout the night, ending at 11 a.m. Thursday with press conference and rally with members of the House and Senate.
The event is being supported by Campus Progress and Young People For, a project of People For the American Way Foundation.
Event Highlights:
Wednesday, May 11
9:00 a.m. (approximately) – Princeton students arrive via bus at the Capitol Reflecting Pool (3rd St SW – Maryland Ave SW)
Thursday, May 12
11:00 a.m. – Rally and Press Conference with Members of Congress
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