Students trade pizza for First Amendment rights

On May 12, members of the Society of Professional journalists student chapter at Western Washington University gathered in Red Square to convey the importance of First Amendment rights to their fellow WWU students.

With a heaping pile of 20 pizzas, the SPJ members invited all students to join them for a free lunch -- if they were willing to give up their First Amendment rights in return. By signing an agreement and taking possession of a fictitious passport to allow them into the sovereign nation of the Democratic People's Republic of Liberty (the area surrounding the fountain that had been marked off with orange tape), participants were welcome to enjoy their free lunch. By giving up their rights, however, they were subjected to sporadic passport checks and required to cover any brand names or logos on their clothing or backpacks that the government (SPJ members) found offensive. The students also had to give up any form of media that was not state-approved (such as the student newspaper, The Western Front), and couldn't stand "too" close together.