Protesters Confront ASUC Senator at Meeting

About 50 angry protesters stormed the ASUC Senate meeting last night, railing against a recent comment from Student Action Senator Devin Andre they called racist and hateful.

During the last senate meeting two weeks ago, Andre typed, "Shut up you underrepresented bitch," in an Instant Message window accidentally sent to CalSERVE Senator Olivia Layug.

After holding a candlelight vigil, protesters swarmed the senate chambers, chanting "Move sexist, get out of the way."

They carried signs reading, "Nobody elected you to be sexist" and "Apologies don't justify hate."

Bringing tensions to a boiling point, about a dozen frustrated students took the floor one by one and assailed Andre for what they called an act of "sexism and racism."

"It doesn't matter if there is no intent or if it was a private note of frustration," said sophomore Trisha Tiamzon. "Those words were full of hate."

Before a cheering crowd, protesters called for Andre's resignation and

presented a petition with more than 150 signatures.

Sitting next to the podium, Andre listened quietly to the speakers. He said he would not resign, but he expressed remorse for his words.

"I regret what I said," Andre said. "I hope to take this learning experience as motivation to work for all students on campus."

But students said the instant message had far-reaching consequences of bias in the world.

"My sole fear is that if this action goes unpunished, it will allow for more aggressive instances and acts of hate," said Kenny Kroll, Queer Council facilitator.

Some senators jumped to Andre's defense, calling for protesters to speak to Andre individually rather than on the floor.

"You're not going to fight hate by having this counter-hate against him," said FREE WEED! Senator Alina Azizian.

After a slew of angry speakers, some administrators joined the chorus.

Dean of Students Karen Kenney spoke to the senators, donning a shirt reading, "Hate Stops With Me."

"I am the wife of an underrepresented man and a mother of an underrepresented girl, and I never want her to hear the words that were uttered at that senate meeting," Kenney said.

Chancellor Robert Berdahl arrived after senators e-mailed him about the incident. He called for a stop to hateful speech on campus.

"We have to be very careful as a campus to see to it that speech doesn't incite others to acts that would qualify as hate," Berdahl said. "We have to be a campus committed to civility and mutual respect."

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