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Students protest DPS actions

Neither the arctic cold weather nor the strong winter winds stopped 15 National Women's Rights Organizing Coalition members from chanting "Hey, hey, ho, ho, these racist cops have got to go!" in front of the Department of Public Safety office at 525 Church St. yesterday.

The group gathered last night to protest what they call a "racist attack" by DPS on John Matlock, the director of the University's Office of Academic and Multicultural Initiatives.

DPS locked its doors during the protest and dispatched an officer across the street to monitor the demonstration from the lobby of East Hall.

DPS spokesperson Beth Hall said DPS believes people have a right to express their opinions. "As long as the protests remain peaceful, that's fine," she said.

NWROC, a militant civil rights organization that gained prominence last year after protesting the firings of the Dental School Three, claims DPS is guilty of extensive racial harassment and discrimination against minority individuals on campus.

"In reality, DPS is out of control," said Jodi Masley, an LSA senior and one of the protest organizers. "They are harassing students and people in the community at large."

Masley said she is convinced the Matlock incident is a direct consequence of the University's racist policies.

"What happened to John Matlock just proves that the University is guilty of institutional systematic racism," Masley said. "The racism perpetrated by the administration is so pervasive that even a high ranking black official can fall victim to it by the DPS."

Wayne State University student Jimmy Huang, who was protesting yesterday, said he believes racism here and on other college campuses is an outcome of student silence and inaction. "It's the absence of large student movements that, in a sense, has allowed this level of racism to foster and these incidents to occur.

"At Wayne State, the campus police is conducting a witchhunt of black students in connection with the recent crime wave. They're claiming that every black man fits the description of the rapist," Huang said.

As NWROC members chanted and marched with signs that read, "Hey, DPS, fight dogs, take your fangs off Matlock," the passersby looked on with curiosity.

One student said he was pleased with the demonstration. Rob, an LSA junior who did not want to release his last name, said he thinks NWROC is doing the right thing.

"I think DPS is extremely racist. I wish more people had the balls to do what (the protesters) do," Rob said.

Amy Lebowitz, an LSA senior, said she personally has never seen any discrimination by DPS. "I think discrimination is certainly a bad thing. (DPS') presence is important in terms of safety," she said.

Most onlookers refused to comment on the event. One student said, "I'm not commenting. I am going to keep my mouth shut."

NWROC member Anya Wislocki, a Detroit resident, acknowledged the group is militant and unorthodox in its methods.