Post by pelicanguy on Mar 2, 2007 20:35:14 GMT -5
The Tallahassee Democrat
Originally published March 2, 2007
FAMU students urge Spring Break boycott of Panama City
By Jennifer Jefferson
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
As students get ready to leave town for Spring Break, members of the Student Coalition for Justice hope that Panama City Beach is not their destination.
The coalition has rallied to draw attention to the Martin Lee Anderson case. Anderson died after being beaten at a Bay County Boot Camp in January 2006. Now they are asking students to boycott Panama City Beach there.
The group was offended that Bay County residents created The BC Defense Fund to pay for the guards and nurse who were involved in the incident.
“Many of the former boot camp personnel lost their jobs when they were recently arrested,” according to the bcdefensefund.com. “Most were making somewhere in the $20,000 annual salary range. Legal costs could be anywhere from $50,000 and up for each former boot camp personnel.”
Also, the defense said that it will need more than a year to go over the evidence found in discovery.
“They are continuing to push back justice, so justice won't see fruition,” said Vanessa Baden, a founding member of the coalition. “The state is turning a deaf ear. Money speaks to everyone."
“It's the only connection they have physically through location,” said Joe O'Shea, an FSU student who supports the coalition. “We understand that injustice happened and we are not going to stand for it."
Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau president Bob Warren said Thursday that he had not heard about the boycott, but hoped that it does not affect the city's biggest moneymaking times since the beach is arguably the No. 1 Spring Break destination in the country.
The city has spent $475,000 marketing to 150 colleges east of the Mississippi River to come to Panama City Beach for Spring Break. Over the 40-day holiday, Warren estimated that the 250,000 to 300,000 students will put about $60 million into the city.
“Our college students of today are our professionals and families of tomorrow and our empty-nesters 25 years from now,” Warren said.
As for the boycott, “I regret that anybody would take such action,” he said.
Contact reporter Jennifer Jefferson at (850) 599-2243 or jjefferson@tallahassee.com.
Originally published March 2, 2007
FAMU students urge Spring Break boycott of Panama City
By Jennifer Jefferson
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
As students get ready to leave town for Spring Break, members of the Student Coalition for Justice hope that Panama City Beach is not their destination.
The coalition has rallied to draw attention to the Martin Lee Anderson case. Anderson died after being beaten at a Bay County Boot Camp in January 2006. Now they are asking students to boycott Panama City Beach there.
The group was offended that Bay County residents created The BC Defense Fund to pay for the guards and nurse who were involved in the incident.
“Many of the former boot camp personnel lost their jobs when they were recently arrested,” according to the bcdefensefund.com. “Most were making somewhere in the $20,000 annual salary range. Legal costs could be anywhere from $50,000 and up for each former boot camp personnel.”
Also, the defense said that it will need more than a year to go over the evidence found in discovery.
“They are continuing to push back justice, so justice won't see fruition,” said Vanessa Baden, a founding member of the coalition. “The state is turning a deaf ear. Money speaks to everyone."
“It's the only connection they have physically through location,” said Joe O'Shea, an FSU student who supports the coalition. “We understand that injustice happened and we are not going to stand for it."
Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau president Bob Warren said Thursday that he had not heard about the boycott, but hoped that it does not affect the city's biggest moneymaking times since the beach is arguably the No. 1 Spring Break destination in the country.
The city has spent $475,000 marketing to 150 colleges east of the Mississippi River to come to Panama City Beach for Spring Break. Over the 40-day holiday, Warren estimated that the 250,000 to 300,000 students will put about $60 million into the city.
“Our college students of today are our professionals and families of tomorrow and our empty-nesters 25 years from now,” Warren said.
As for the boycott, “I regret that anybody would take such action,” he said.
Contact reporter Jennifer Jefferson at (850) 599-2243 or jjefferson@tallahassee.com.