The Northwestern University Associated Student Government approached Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) on February 7, urging it to sign a resolution that aims to condemn the use of unnecessary police force during protests on college campuses.
The resolution was drafted in light of the allegedly violent protests occured at U.C. Berkeley and U.C. Davis campuses last November.
The resolution would "ban the use of force to deal with protests, and to engage in dialogue with their communities to develop a protest response policy that emphasizes non-violence, respect for rights, and safety."
Currently, the student government councils of Northwestern University, the University of Oregon, Williams College, Harvard College, Georgetown University, and Wellesley College have signed on to the resolution.
Anirudh Sreekrishnan '12, vice president of BSG affairs, urged the assembly to carefully research and consider the implications of jumping on the bandwagon before deciding to endorse the resolution.
"This is not something that we should lightly vote on. Is this something we actually feel passionately enough about that we are willing to fight for when the friends of the Orient or people around the student body disagree?" Sreekrishnan said.
"BSG in the past has taken stances—controversial if you will—on certain things, the most prominent in my mind against the Iraq war, which caused an outcry," he said.
Brian Kim '13, BSG treasurer, reinforced this idea and encouraged all of the student representatives to understand the entire, unbiased context of the U.C. Davis protests.
"Physical removal is one of the most likely ways to cause bodily harm to people who are resisting, and so pepper spray—while it does cause an insane amount of discomfort—allows people to be removed without long-term damage like broken limbs and dislocated shoulders," said Kim.
BSG assembly members will have until next Wednesday night to consult with their respective constituencies and to determine whether the BSG should in fact endorse the resolution from Northwestern.