COALITION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD ABUSE
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Students staging overnight sit-in at the Capitol
By Stephen D. Price
CAPITOL BUREAU

About 30 local college students, dissatisfied with Gov. Jeb Bush's response to their demands for justice on behalf of Martin Lee Anderson, pledged this afternoon to camp outside the governor's office until they're satisfied.

The students - from Florida State and Florida A&M universities and Tallahassee Community College - rallied at the Capitol this morning and asked for a meeting with the governor. He met with four representatives of the group - including FSU student body president Gabriel Pendas, 23, and FAMU student body president Raymon Alexander - for about 45 minutes late this afternoon.

Alexander said the governor would not say whether he plans to apologize to Martin's family on behalf of the state of Florida. Bush is supposed to meet with the parents on Thursday.

However, state Sen. Tony Hill, D-Jacksonville, was adamant this afternoon that Bush told him he will issue an apology.

Anderson, 14, died after an incident at the Bay County boot camp where he was restrained, hit and kneed on Jan. 5. He died Jan. 6 at a hospital in Pensacola. He was sent to the camp for a probation violation.

The incident was caught on the camp's videotape.

As the students settled in on the first floor of the Capitol this evening, about 50 more students gathered in the courtyard in a show of support. Many pressed their faces against the glass to see what was happening inside.

Capitol police told the group that anyone who left would not be allowed back in. Media who left were not being allowed back in, either.
Only employees and legislators had access after the building was closed at its normal time of 5:30 p.m.

Between half a dozen and dozen legislators stopped by this afternoon to show their support, bringing chairs for the students and offering to bring in food.

Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, didn't debate whether the students should continue their protest, but she did say that she was pleased with the governor's actions so far.

The students' made the following seven demands: a public apology; a change in venue from Bay County for any trial; release the second autopsy report; arrest of the guards; a civil suit against the Bay County sheriff's office and FDLE; removal of Dr. Charles Siebert as medical examiner in Bay County; removal of the boot-camp nurse.

 

Originally published April 19, 2006

 


 
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