UNM group condemns (un)Occupy at teach-in

UNM’s Conservative Republican group held its own teach-in in the SUB Tuesday in opposition to the (un)Occupy Albuquerque movement.

The (un)Occupy Albuquerque movement, part of the larger Occupy Wall Street movement, has occupied UNM’s attention for the past five weeks. The movement condemns corporate greed and America’s top-heavy concentration of wealth.

The (un)Occupy protesters and UNM’s Peace Studies program have held several teach-ins in the SUB to educate the UNM community about their movement.

Donald Gluck, president of UNM’s Conservative Republicans, organized the event and said he thinks (un)Occupy protesters’ actions have been un-American.

“The (protesters’) scapegoating and class warfare are not the way Americans typically act,” he said. “We feel that this Occupy movement is intended to distract and throw sand in the eyes of the people so they’re not aware the problem isn’t the 1 percent, the problem is the one (President) Barack Obama.”

Gluck said many conservative Republicans on campus don’t agree with the protesters’ occupation of UNM.

“Many conservatives think the occupation is awful,” he said. “Yes, everyone is entitled to free speech, but they’re not entitled to occupy a place for five weeks. We feel that our voices need to be heard also.”

New Mexico House Rep. Conrad James (R-Bernalillo) spoke at the event and said he understands the anger people may have against bankers, lenders and financial institutions.

“What were trying to do is dig into the details of what led into the financial crisis for the last couple of years,” he said.