Stand up for free speech!

The University of California at San Diego has ordered the Ché Café Collective, a student organization, to remove hyperlinks on the burn.ucsd.edu website to an alleged “terrorist” organization, citing the recently enacted USA Patriot Act.

BURN! started April, 1993 as a student project in the UCSD Communications Department.  It provides UCSD and the general public the ability to read firsthand the positions of political organizations that otherwise would not be available. This information is used for research by academics, journalists, and citizens all over the world. It has become one of the longest standing free speech sites on the internet, surviving years of attacks by UCSD and government officials. BURN was forced out of the Communications department in Spring, 2000, at which time it was picked up by the Groundwork Collective. In May of 2002, after administrative attacks upon Groundwork, the Ché Café Collective agreed to take on the responsibility of publishing BURN in opposition to censorship and in support of free speech.

On September 16th, the Ché Café received a threatening email from Gary Ratcliff (Director, University Centers) stating that the organization and its members are in violation of UCSD policies and Federal law by publishing the burn.ucsd.edu web site, because it has a link to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), an organization listed by the U.S. Department of State as a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.  Ratcliff claims that the Ché Café is providing "communications equipment, personnel, and facilities" to the FARC by simply including a hyperlink. He is accusing the Ché of (in his words) “providing material support to support terrorists”.

Ratcliff demands that the link to FARC be removed from the BURN website. The Ché Café Collective has chosen to continue to publish the link, citing this as an important issue of First Amendment rights under the newly imposed USA Patriot Act. Groundwork and it’s members have also been targeted and are currently facing disciplinary action from UCSD. What lies ahead may be a long and protracted struggle. The Ché Café and Groundwork need support from all who are willing to defend free speech. Publicize and spread the word!

Please visit the Ché website at http://www.checafe.org for updates and more information. All correspondence between UCSD, the Ché Café and Groundwork regarding this issue will be available for public viewing. Please also sign up for our mailing list, which we will use as an emergency broadcast system should it become necessary. Freely reprint this information in whole or part.

Gary Ratcliff can be contacted by email at grratcliff@ucsd.edu, or by phone at (858) 534-1956