From the steps of historic Hawaii Hall just moments before the official kick-off of the University of Hawaii’s 100th birthday celebration, dozens of protesters denounced plans to establish a Navy University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) at the state’s only public institution of higher learning.
Graduate student Kelii Collier and Professor Jon Osorio of the Center for Hawaiian Studies read the following “Counter-Centennial Call to Action” on Saturday, Jan. 13 shortly before 10 a.m. and were followed by former Board of Regent member Ah Quon McElrath, who also voiced sentiments against the UARC and further militarization of Hawaii:
SAVE UH! STOP UARC!
“UH protest 1 Centered”
”A Counter-Centennial Call to Action”
The Centennial Pride that the University seeks to share here today is spoiled by the threat that it will establish a military research center. Today, when the Manoa campus begins to Celebrate Its Present and Create Our Future, we call on President McClain and the U.S. Navy to abandon their plans to establish at U.H. a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC).
”Destroys Free Flow of Ideas for Creating and Disseminating Knowledge”
This University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) should be abandoned because it destroys the core value for which the Manoa campus was established