USF has contracts and memorandums of understanding with U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). SOUTHCOM is in charge of U.S. military interventions in Latin America. This includes the use of death squads in Colombia and running the torture prisons at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

CENTCOM runs the U.S. wars and occupations in the Middle East, including both Iraq and Afghanistan. The USF memorandums of understanding give the U.S. military access to resources and space on campus to further their agenda of aggression and domination.

“USF's partnership with the military has shown that USF is interested in the continued slaughter of the people of the world. The U.S. military is responsible for the continued training of terrorists, overthrowing of sovereign governments, sanctions that result in the starvation of children and the overall maldevelopment of nations around the world. USF is complicit.”

In December it was revealed that one of the two architects behind the torture techniques at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base did his research at USF. James Elmer Mitchell received his PhD in 1986 at USF and then was paid millions to advise the CIA during the Bush torture years at Guantanamo.

Members of Tampa SDS vowed to escalate the fight against the USF administration and their cooperation with the U.S. military.

#TampaFL #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #USSouthernCommand #UniversityOfSouthFlorida #TampaSDS #USCentralCommand

Tampa, FL – 50 anti-war activists protested U.S. bombings on Syria at the corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Gandy Boulevard here, Sept. 27. The Syrian government did not give the U.S. permission to make the attacks in its territory. The U.S. government plans to continue violating the sovereignty of Syria as it targets the group calling itself the Islamic State. The crowd of protesters chanted, “Hands off Syria!” and “No more war!” to express outrage against the U.S. bombings.

Tom Lingo with Saint Pete for Peace spoke, “Today we are here because the U.S. government has made the decision to start bombing members of ISIL, and they’re doing it in Syria…Last year, Syria was a country they were thinking about engaging in, but they backed off because they didn’t have the political will for it and also because they didn’t have the support from the people. They’ve been using current events to propagandize, manipulate and bring up the war fervor.”

Jared Hamil from Freedom Road Socialist Organization emphasized, “Our job as Americans and for those in the anti-war movement is to oppose any and all intervention by the U.S. Never be fooled – intervention has never been humanitarian!” Hamil provided historical context of U.S. imperialism, including U.S. wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The protest took place near the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the headquarters for U.S. military operations around the world. Sponsoring organizations included Saint Pete for Peace, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at University of South Florida, Friends of Human Rights, and Block the Boat Campaign.

#TampaFL #AntiwarMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #USCENTCOM #Syria #CENTCOM #USCentralCommand