USC fines Free Culture club for protesting "Free Speech Zone"

[TehBorken]

Funny, I thought the whole country was a "free speech" zone.

USC fines Free Culture club for protesting "Free Speech Zone"

The University of Southern California has fined the USC Free Culture Club. The FC club's sin was failing to get permission to post fliers that protested the school's use of a "Free Speech Zone" -- the only place on campus where free speech is permitted.

In a mild act of civil disobedience, USC Free Culture posted flyers outside of the “Free Speech Zone” that stated simply “This is Not a Free Speech Zone.” Our focus was to explore free speech on campus within the given rules (found here) while simultaneously arguing that USC’s controlled definitions of free speech run counter to “the development of human beings and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit.”

The university soon sent us an e-mail, fining USC Free Culture for violating university policy on unapproved flyer posting and charging us an undisclosed amount for the removal of the sidewalk chalk. USC Free Culture’s scheduling privileges, which are necessary for most on-campus group activities, have been suspended until the fines are paid.

http://imlportfolio.usc.edu/freeculture/?p=18