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“We are happy to announce that the CMU chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (CMU YDSA) has been reinstated as an official club, with our suspension lifted. This is thanks to organized pushback, our multi-day social media campaign, and support from the community. We backed them into a corner, giving the CMU administration no choice but to reverse their authoritarian violation of our right to free speech and assembly. We won our demands and made NO CONCESSIONS, which goes to show just how powerful the people are when we organize and demand change.
Over spring break, the CMU chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America was suspended in an attempt to cancel our upcoming rally, march, and fundraiser. This event is a peaceful protest, meant to display solidarity and raise funds for families in need. Our leadership had every intention to notify CMU about this event, but we did not ask permission. Why? Because we have the right to march and protest on campus! We also do not need assistance with the event, as we have experienced protest organizers, safety marshals, and do not need to rent a room or equipment. We are also unwilling to wait for any bureaucratic holdups, as the club advisory board will often deny event requests, drag things out for weeks, require clubs to pay unreasonably high fees, hire poorly trained staff/security, and/or leave reserved rooms locked. The families we are fundraising for need this money as soon as possible, especially with rent due in less than a week.
With this being said, our leadership was willing to communicate and cooperate with any reasonable demands/requests made by CMU; we were simply unwilling to cancel, postpone, or pay exorbitant fees for our event.
In response to this statement, the club advisory board suspended the chapter and stated that our events were to be cancelled. To receive a club suspension, you must have multiple strikes and a meeting/training with the club advisory board, to correct what they consider bad behavior. The CMU YDSA does not have any strikes and were suspended after only two email exchanges. It’s also unclear who made the decision and why it was made, as we’ve been told contradictory information. This was clearly a hasty and unjustified suspension, which further tarnished CMU’s reputation. They broke their own rules, weaponizing bureaucracy in an attempt to suppress our organization and prevent students from freely expressing themselves on campus.
We once again thank everyone who helped put pressure on CMU admin; we couldn’t have done it without you all! We also would like to invite everyone to attend our march this Friday, the very event that led to our suspension.
The CMU Melts ICE rally will be at 2:30PM on March 27th, at the corner of 12th and North Ave. We will begin marching at 3:00 PM and will walk around the campus to the pavilion (outside the university center). This event is not sponsored, endorsed, or organized by Colorado Mesa University. We are encouraging as many people to attend as possible, students and non-students alike. Let’s show CMU that we don’t tolerate authoritarianism of any kind!
In Solidarity,
Nikoli Weir and Kaylee Mullen
Co-Chairs of the CMU chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America”
Below is the notice of the YDSA club’s event tomorrow that CMU claimed was the reason for the suspension. The event will be held as scheduled and the public is invited. Please come out and show support for the YDSA if you can:
YDSA should, if it hasn’t already, file a Colorado Open Records request with CMU, asking for every bit of paper, every email and record of every meeting concerning this suspension and lifting thereof. File it with the CMU administrations, president’s office, Ludlam’s office and the club advisory board. Get in writing who appointed the club advisory board and what appointments were based on. While you’re at it, ask for similar information about the event today, March 26, at 4 p.m., to be held in Brownson Arena for students and other fans of the CMU women’s basketball team for the televised semifinal game in the national tournament. Who organized that event and what was required by the college in the way of security or any other condition. Then compare and contrast. Send copies to the State Board of Trustees.
You might consider copying in the Daily Sentinel, KREX, KKCO, the Denver Post, Colorado Sun, CPR and KUSA, aka 9News.
Good to see that younger people don’t take shit from political hacks put in charge and that think that they have way more power than they do!