'Activism is my university'

Purdue student leader organizes
protest against IMF, World Bank

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By Jonathan Shaner
Ball State University
Muncie, Ind.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (CNNSB) -- Talking with friends, studying for his tests, Damon Hall seemed to be your average college student.

But over the weekend, the 22-year-old Purdue University junior led a contingent of student activists to Washington. D.C. in a mass demonstration to shut down the spring meeting of the 182-nation International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

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The student demonstrators joined environmentalists, trade lobbyists and human rights activists in alleging the World Bank and IMF burden poor countries with crushing debt payments, unsafe food, environmental destruction and sweatshops. Hall's group, Purdue Students Against Sweat Shops, was among approximately 10,000 activists participating in the demonstration.

Demonstrators in Seattle last year successfully disrupted a World Trade Organization meeting, forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency and call out the National Guard. But protestors this time failed to sidetrack the World Bank and IMF meetings: Talks among world financial leaders continued undisturbed.

In preparation, police in Washington on Monday had cordoned off several blocks and asked federal workers to stay home. During the demonstration, police used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse protestors. At one point during the weekend, police in riot gear on motorcycles charged into a crowd that had surged toward the police line.

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CNN Student Bureau's Jon Shaner looks at some student activists at Purdue University. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

Police took 90 demonstrators into custody Monday, but there were no reports of serious injuries. Delegates --- who began their meetings ahead of schedule in an attempt to outmaneuver demonstrators - arrived under police escort at the World Bank and IMF buildings in the heart of a barricaded Washington, not far from the White House.

Before their trip to the nation's capitol, many of the Purdue students said they had mixed feelings about the possible dangers awaiting in Washington.

"You'd have to be stupid not to be worried about being hurt, right?" asked Purdue student Brandon Thomas, 20, "I mean, unless you're truly a fearless person."

Hall, who was also among the student activists in Seattle, says it was important that he participate in the demonstration.

"The IMF and the World Bank is just another one of those organizations that is completely aiding the interest of multi-national corporations over the interest of human beings," Hall said.

Conny Lotze, a spokeswoman with the IMF, said that isn't the case. The organization does not condone exploiting laborers, she said, but focuses on bigger issues.

"We deal with macro-economic problems, such as can a country pay its external debt," she said. The IMF loans countries money to tide them over through financial crises. In making the decision on whether to loan money, the organization would consider whether a country takes advantage of people in sweatshops, Lotze said, but the existence of those conditions would not disqualify a country for assistance.

The Purdue students felt they would be prepared for the weekend's events because of previous demonstrations at the university. An 11-day hunger strike and talks with administrators over workers' rights helped to prepare them for Sunday's event, Hall says.

At the Purdue protest, Hall and his friends set up camp in a tent city to get out their message -- that university officials should strive to ensure the rights of workers who make Purdue-branded apparel overseas. Purdue University is located about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

Student activists interviewed at the protest said they wanted Purdue to agree to buy its apparel only from factories that follow a code of conduct for workers' rights. The students said they also want the university to join the Workers' Rights Consortium, an organization that seeks to prevent the exploitation of low-wage workers and the spread of international sweatshops.

If you spend a day with the Purdue students, and you'll soon realize they are not conventional. Activism runs in their blood.

"Activism is my schooling," said Hall. "It is my university."

"I'm just doing what I can to help support what I think would be positive social change," added Thomas.

The students have gotten a lot of support for their Purdue cause, Hall said. "We've had so many people just stop by and ask questions and learn," he said.

But not everyone agrees that the students are going about their mission in the right way.

Tony Underhill, a 39-year-old junior at Purdue, agreed that Purdue should monitor the rights of workers, but said he disagreed with the students' protest methods.

"You're trying to force Purdue into that [joining the WRC] by getting public sympathy because of this hunger strike," he told the demonstrators earlier this month.

Underhill's comments only seemed to increase the motivation of the young protestors.

Thomas is one student activist who says he believes one voice can make a difference.

"I'm really a small part of what's going on at Purdue, and Purdue is such a small part of what's going on nationally," he said.

Contributing student producers:
Jeremiah Johnson, Phil Nardiello, Kelly Skiver, James Shaw, Kyle Thomas