Banners plastered throughout campus

Signs call for end of harassment policy A group calling itself "Penn Students for Free Speech" demonstrated its First Amendment rights in a unique way yesterday by pasting several large banners in Superblock and along Locust Walk. Calling for Interim President Claire Fagin to abolish or change Part II of the University's Racial Harassment Policy, the group hung a "Free Speech" sign covering the second- and third-floor windows of High Rise East. In addition, several panels laid out on the ground between High Rise South and High Rise East spelled out the sentence, "Penn Allows Kike – 'R' 'U' Protected?" The group also taped about 600 sheets of paper in a row along Locust Walk, with various phrases calling for free speech on campus. "Speech is a right, not a privilege," one of the signs read. "If free speech is important to you call President Fagin at 8-7221." "They decide what we can say," another sign read. "Doesn't that scare you?" All of the signs were put up at around 7 a.m. yesterday. College junior Elliott Hornblass, one of the group's leaders, said Wednesday that the group is looking for the current policy, the so-called "speech code," to either be abolished or changed. "[We are] just a bunch of people who are more or less fed up with the whole speech code," he said. "Ideally we don't want the speech code, but there is one and we feel that the one that exists doesn't cover some groups." Part II of the Racial Harassment Policy – the part Fagin is considering eliminating – forbids any "verbal or symbolic behavior" that "insults or demeans [a] person?on the basis of his or her race, color, ethnicity, or national origin?by the use of slurs, epithets, hate words, demeaning jokes, or derogatory stereotypes." He said the groups not covered include religions, gays and lesbians and disabled persons. Hornblass added that last semester's controversial "water buffalo" case demonstrated that the policy is enforced in a manner which hampers even benign speech. Co-leader and Wharton junior Sagi Genger said last night he felt the demonstration went well, but its success will depend on Fagin. "I think we'll find out if it's a success or not when we find out what President Fagin does when she comes to a decision," he said. "[But] I understand that there were quite a few students gathering around and reading it. At the very least it will promote people to think about what it means to deprive people of free speech, particularly at a university." Genger added he was surprised when several random people would not help him hang the "Free Speech" sign because they were afraid. "People were scared to help hang a poster," he said. "It shows that there's an atmosphere of fear that's hampering proper conduct. "A university needs to be a place where open expression is cherished and encouraged. [It] is a place where people try to search for the truth – that's the point of education." He added that a "speech code" would inevitably silence racists and bigots and "if someone's a bigot I'd like to know he's a bigot." Fagin could not be reached for comment.

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