Filed reports allege assault during rally

In the aftermath of what was perhaps the largest student
demonstration against war since Vietnam, some are saying what was
called a peaceful rally on March 5 was actually quite unruly.

Two reports alleging that students who demonstrated in favor of
war were assaulted during the rally were filed with the UCPD.

One police report was filed by Andrew Jones, Bruin Republican
president and former Daily Bruin Viewpoint Columnist. The report
says a suspect struck Jones on his back at Murphy Hall at 1:45
p.m.

The report names Mohammad Mertaban, president of the Muslim
Students Association, and says he gave the police a deposition
regarding the Jones’ report.

Nancy Greenstein, the UCPD’s director of community
services, said the situation was under investigation and could not
say if Mertaban was a suspect. Mertaban was not available for
comment after numerous phone calls Friday, Sunday and Monday.

Jones also said demonstrators broke his sunglasses and destroyed
signs he was carrying. Such details were not in the police log.

A second report was filed by Michael Williams, a computer
science graduate student, police said.

Other students who either associated themselves with the counter
protesters or said they were neutral bystanders expressed
complaints that the rally’s supposed-nonpartisan security was
comprised solely of members from anti-war groups and clearly showed
that they had an interest in the protest.

Some of these students said the security pushed and shoved
them.

The security had been heavily trained, according to Yousef
Tajsar, one of the event’s organizers and leader of Global
Peace and Justice.

He added that the security staff was made up of members from
several groups but was unaware as to which groups they were.