As reported at Campaign for Liberty:
In order to demonstrate the consequences of socialism, WUYAL crafted a Soviet-style gulag. The four walled, 10 foot high stockade was displayed prominently in the middle of campus for most of the day. Around the prison marched guards dressed in Soviet regalia and inside were abused prisoners who had resisted the socialist regime. Playing in the background was the Soviet National Anthem and a speech containing propaganda to which the prisoners were forced to listen.
Students had a wide range of responses to the event. Some were amused, some were inspired and began arguing the merits of capitalism with our soviet guards, some regarded the event as petty, and others remarked that it was offensive to Russian Americans. The gulag drew a local radio station, the campus newspaper, and many bloggers who interviewed participants and passers by. Flyers were distributed with information regarding the realities of socialism and the destruction which it has caused in the 20th century.
It was not long before for some professors decided they were unpleased with this sort of political protest. A few walked by and remarked that they would "make some calls" in order to ensure that we were shut down. About two hours into the event, a university official approached the guards and demanded that we provide him with our paperwork. After successfully demonstrating that we were authorized by event services, he marched off. An hour or so later came a police officer following up on a complaint about the event which she received. After being assured that our event was peaceful, she too left. Finally, the University brought out the big guns. They came with several armed officers and a university official and instructed us to take down our protest on account of the fact that our tools were not inspected prior to the erection of the gulag.
Check out the local news report on the event here.
Great work guys. I personally love the idea that the prisoners were "happy" because they were "well fed." Brillant!!, keep up the great work.
So let me get this straight:
They were offended that you had created a mock gulag. They approached you about your "paperwork," had armed officers question you, and invented ex post facto rules to make you take it down? Sounds like they are well on their way and they don't even see it.
Hmm...as a Finnish American this is quite offensive. I mean, thousands of Finns, Estonians, Latvians, etc died in the gulags becuase of the repressive Soviet regime. I can see why some would be offended. If anti-semites errected a concentration like structure in public mocking the victims, I honestly doubt anyone would be too happy about it, even it did make a vague political statement.
There is nothing disrespectful to the victims.
This project aims at those who would try and install a similar setup here in the states.
There is nothing offensive about confronting the naive with the truth of dangerous, murderous fads.
"If anti-semites errected a concentration like structure in public mocking the victims..."
who is mocking the victims?
the group was trying to prevent more victims from government interventionism and the general denial of freedom.
Gustav while I respect your ancestors, grow up. This is a protest to help make sure that similar events do not happen again - most especially here. Sometimes it takes extreme modes of protest to wake people up...
Because of our PC education and entertainment systems, most people think that the Commies of past and present are heroes and something to aspire to.I believe that this protest is a wonderful way to show such things are not true and what can happen here even in our back yard.
Thanks for posting our event! I couldn't figure out how to post it on here.
I like this a lot, glad you were able to keep it up at least that long. Someone needs to put up a 1984 mock up of INGSOC as an example too. Didn't they said that more people were now fed thanks to the Party?
People SHOULD be offended by this demonstration... in fact, if everybody demanded we take down every demonstration that might offend, we would be LIVING in this demonstration! Perhaps the Finnish-American above should ask why he feels so threatened--because what Soviet socialists did decades ago to his own people could very easily happen again here in America, or in China, or in Europe. Nowhere is safe from socialism... and that's the true threat!
Next time you build a gulag, please have the Furor inspect your tool(s)....Maybe you should have offered to allow them to inspect your tools on the spot. Priceless. God Bless YAL.
For Liberty,
Rob
THE MOVEMENT HAS BEGUN...
http://www.campusgulag.org
Nice work you guys! That is great attention for our cause.
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