Student activist organizations plan to "take the power back" by ringing out the rocking sounds of democracy and supplying those who are still in the dark with political enlightenment.
Rock for Democracy, a pro-democracy forum that combines political musical entertainment and literature distribution by progressive student organizations, will be held 7 p.m. Saturday in Heritage Hall, HUB.
The event is intended to educate students on political awareness and raise money to benefit the legal defense fund for activists arrested during the Republican National Convention this past summer.
The Rock for Democracy is free of charge, so fund raising activities will be in the form of donations.
Among the night's events will be performances by local and non-local bands including Half Cast, Wrought With Sickness, Government Satire, Bobby Kork and Hopeless Dregs of Humanity.
There will be tables set up in the hall with brochures containing information about the organizations sponsoring the event and people discussing what changes can be made in today's democratic society.
The event is being organized by the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and is being co-sponsored by the University Park Allocations Committee, Womyn's Concerns, Lambda Student Alliance, ACLU, the Alliance for Animal Rights, Amnesty International, Pax Christi and STAR.
Brian Ecker , ACLU-PSU coordinator said in regards to the ACLU's involvement with the event, "our primary interest is in raising the awareness of civil liberties."
"Lately, many civil rights have been threatened by the University administration, by overzealous police officers and by judicial proceedings that are no more than a formality to rubber stamp the sanctions that have already been issued," said Ecker (senior-electrical engineering).
"At the concert we will be providing students with information and literature on their civil rights, as well as practical tips they can use to protect their civil liberties. We look forward to hearing all the bands and the free exchange of ideas," added Ecker.
Among the activist this event will benefit are Penn State students who were charged with civil disobedience and spent more than eight days in jail.
According to a press release from the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance the Penn State students, who choose to remain anonymous to avoid being charged through judicial affairs, witnessed first hand activist being woken up and beaten at night.
The night is not set up to dwell on the injustices in the United States, but rather to find reasonable solutions and of course have some fun.
Lynn Thompson (senior-womens studies and comparative literature), co-director of Womyn's Concerns and Lambda Student Alliance said, "It's a way to give people information and to raise awareness in a forum in which they can have fun.
