Smith Hall rally

Calling for a national switch from a defense to a civilian economy, over 100 people participated in a rally in front of Smith Hall yesterday. The rally was similar to others held on April 15 over the past five years for Smith Hall, which is scheduled to be demolished to make room for the construction of the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. But the plight of the century-old building lost one of its public supporters in City Councilmember David Cohen. Cohen had originally planned to introduce a resolution stating that City Council "urge[s] the University to withdraw" the proposal for the demolition of Smith Hall and the construction of the new IAST "immediately." Cohen withdrew the resolution before its scheduled presentation at yesterday's Council meeting. The Tax Day rally was endorsed by "a coalition of 80 co-sponsors," according to Barbara Smith, the executive director of the Philadelphia Jobs With Peace campaign. The sponsors included community and University groups, such as the Penn Coalition for Science in the Public Interest, Jobs With Peace and Greens of Philadelphia. Students began marching at their respective schools and joined with other community members. The group stopped at Smith Hall to protest its proposed demolition for the IAST, a government funded institute which they said will house military research. After spending a short time in front of Smith Hall, the group marched to the 30th Street Post Office to join other Philadelphia demonstrators. Smith gave a short speech while the group -- comprised of West Philadelphia school children, residents and University students -- stood on 34th Street holding signs that protested excessive government military spending and called for redirection of government funds for peaceful, civilian purposes. "Even during peace time our priorities haven't changed," said Smith, referring to the large amount of money spent by the government on defense. The Penn Coalition for Science in the Public Interest distributed flyers saying "Help stop the military purchase of higher education! Save Smith Hall! Stop the denial and cure America's Military Industrial Complex." And Penn Coalition member Mark Hamel, a History and Sociology of Science graduate student, said that the general coalition, which speaks out against the way "our tax money is spent by the government," is working to alter the government's tax "agenda and perspective." Smith said that the tax money which will help fund the building of the IAST would be better spent on the children who "don't have the resources to go to an instution such as [the University]." "There should be less money going to the military and more coming home," Smith said. "Our children are our priority." Staff writer Gregory Montanaro contributed to this story.