University of Iowa protesters object to military presence at career fair

A small group of protesters objected to the presence of military recruiters at a career fair at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Six people protested Wednesday at the university's Memorial Union. One of the protesters, Blake Robbinswood, 43, of Iowa City, criticized the military for offering to help pay college tuition for recruits. He said there are other ways to pay for college. "They talk about two-year commitments, and as we've found out recently, that two years can be turned into eight years before you know it," Robbinswood said. Allison Page, a junior from Iowa City, said the university was violating its own human rights policy, which bars discriminatory groups from campus. She said the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy is discriminatory toward gays and lesbians. Phillip Jones, the university's president for student services, said the federal government can withhold funds from universities that don't allow recruiters on campus. A federal judge ruled in November that the government cannot withhold funding, but the ruling is being appealed. Recruiters said the protest did not interfere with their ability to talk to potential recruits. (AP)