Progressive Librarians Guild
PROGRESSIVE
LIBRARIANS GUILD
radical views on library & info issues

Tabatabainejad at Powell Library

 

PLG Condemns Violent Treatment of Mostafa Tabatabainejad at Powell Library, UCLA


The Progressive Librarians Guild (PLG) condemns the violent treatment of Iranian-American student Mostafa Tabatabainejad at the Powell Library of the University of California (UCLA) on November 14, 2006.

Caught on video, and viewed by witnesses, the police assault on Mr. Tabatabainejad is a violation of Mr. Tabatabainejad's constitutional rights under U.S. law and the U.N. Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT).

PLG believes there are no circumstances under which such police behavior can be sanctioned or rationalized given eyewitness accounts, video documentation, and the statements of parties to the event. No university security policy can legitimately sanction or condone this type of police assault with a potentially deadly weapon.

PLG, a group of librarians and library workers, is particularly appalled that this incident occurred during a random security check of ID cards at the Powell Library. The abusive and violent intimidation that occurred against Mr. Tabatabainejad compromises the security that libraries traditionally have offered their users.

We condemn the violent actions against Mr. Tabatabainejad. We call for the UCLA and Powell Library administration to immediately convene a nonpartisan, public investigation into campus security policies.

Approved by the PLG Coordinating Committee
November 27, 2006


Related Stories

On the UCLA Tasering and eyewitness report

YouTube video