Dressed in military fatigues and boots, UF Society of Professional Journalists President April Dudash led a mock protest of the First Amendment to the Constitution Wednesday afternoon on Turlington Plaza.
Nine members of the organization joined Dudash in a protest against freedom of religion, speech, press, petition and assembly.
The students meant for their demonstration to be ironic — they protested their right to protest.
Dudash said the intent was to promote the group’s second annual First Amendment Free Food Festival on Friday, Dudash said.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 30 SPJ members and comedy group Theatre Strike Force will use tape and other barriers to establish their own “country,” equipped with guards, on the Plaza of the Americas, she said.
Students will have the opportunity to sign away their First Amendment rights for free lunch on the plaza.
Dudash said the organization wanted to bring awareness on this issue in a radical way.
“Exchanging rights for a sandwich is ridiculous,” Dudash said. “People need to realize how important their rights are.”
The First Amendment Free Food Festival originated with the Florida Atlantic University chapter of SPJ and has since spread to five other universities, including UF.
Last year, the event brought close to 300 participants and more than 100 spectators, Dudash said.
