Free Republic

URBANA – An estimated 400 people marched and demonstrated against various policies and actions taken by President Donald Trump in his second term. Below are pictures from the protest. This is the latest in several demonstrations held in central Illinois.

The observance at Saturday’s football game was no different. A moment of silence was followed by a military airplane flyover; in between, Block-I students chanted “USA, USA.” This was neither patriotism nor remembrance in any justifiable sense, but politicization, militarism, propaganda and bellicosity. The University is a public institution that encompasses the political views of all, not just the most (falsely) “patriotic.” Athletic planners should cease such exploitation for political purposes. They might at least consider how most Muslim students, American or otherwise, would respond to this nativist display; or better, Muslims and others that live their lives under the...

Shocking news: The University of Illinois fires professor for articulating Catholic moral teaching -- Register your urgent protest here:SIGN THE PROTESTYour voice can make a HUGE difference in this case. Please join TFP Student Action in urging the president of the University of Illinois to stop the persecution and reinstate Prof. Kenneth Howell who was recently fired – yes, dismissed – for simply repeating Catholic moral teaching on marriage and Natural Law. According to press reports, this is what happened: Prof. Kenneth Howell Adjunct Prof. Kenneth Howell, a Catholic, explained to his students that homosexual vice violates Natural Law during...

Top-ranked Ohio State's national title hopes teetered on a timeout, the ball inches from a first down for Illinois. Illini coach Ron Zook changed his mind, decided to go for it on fourth down and that was the beginning of the end for the Buckeyes' hopes of redeeming themselves in this season's national championship game. It was the first time Illinois (8-3, 5-2 Big Ten) had beaten a No. 1 since 1956, and the first time it had done it away from home. The defeat also ended a conference and school streak of 20 Big Ten wins in a row...

Williams leads Illini to upset of No. 1 Ohio StateBy RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writer November 10, 2007 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- In this season of upsets, top-ranked Ohio State was the latest to fall. Juice Williams provided the big plays on the ground and through the air, spurring Illinois to a stunning 28-21 victory on Saturday night and throwing open the national title race. It was the first time Illinois (8-3, 5-2 Big Ten) had ever beaten a No. 1, losing all 17 previous games. The defeat also ended a record streak of 20 Big Ten wins in a...

Illinois 5-1 (3-0 Big Ten)...do people still think Ron Zook should be fired?

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- The University of Illinois will drop its 81-year-old American Indian mascot, Chief Illiniwek...The move makes the school eligible to host postseason NCAA championship events, but it angered many Illini fans who say the chief honors American Indians. The NCAA in 2005 deemed Illiniwek -- portrayed by buckskin-clad students who dance at home...games and other athletic events -- an offensive use of American Indian imagery and barred the university from hosting postseason events. American Indian groups and others have complained for years that the mascot, used since 1926, is demeaning... ...Eppley told reporters that the decision did...

URBANA, Ill. (AP) -- The University of Illinois will drop its 81-year-old American Indian mascot, Chief Illiniwek, following the last men's basketball home game of the season on Wednesday, officials said. The move makes the school eligible to host postseason NCAA championship events. The NCAA in 2005 deemed Illiniwek -- portrayed by buckskin-clad students who dance at home football and basketball games and other athletic events -- an offensive use of American Indian imagery and barred the university from hosting postseason events.

To members of the campus community, A decision has been made regarding the Chief Illiniwek tradition. For more information, go to: www.uillinois.edu/chief If you receive any questions or concerns regarding the decision, please feel free to use the following reply. "Thank you for your comments about the recently announced decision on Chief Illiniwek. For more information, please refer to this web page: www.uillinois.edu/chief You can email comments by clicking on Contact/Feedback link [InfoSource@uillinois.edu] in the top section of the web page."

Acton H. Gorton and his opinions page editor, Chuck Prochaska, were fired from The Daily Illini at the University of Illinois for the Feb. 9 publication of the cartoons, which first appeared in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. "The Illini Media Co. board of directors following a thorough review, a report by a student task force of senior members of the staff, and a threat from the Muslim Student Alliance to burn the school to the ground and disembowel the administrators if Gorton were not fired, found that Gorton violated Daily Illini policies about thoughtful discussion of and preparation for the...

Published: February 17, 2006 10:44 AM ET CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) An attorney for the editor at the University of Illinois' student-run newspaper who was suspended this week is demanding the paper stop critical statements about the student. Editor-in-chief Acton Gorton and another editor were suspended this week for their decision to run a series of cartoons that have sparked violence around the Islamic world. Gorton's attorney, Junaid Afeef, sent a letter to the board of the Illini Media Company yesterday. He's demanding that the paper stop what he calls "defamatory statements" about Gorton. The paper's editorial staff told readers this...

URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, ILL. Two high-ranking editors of the student newspaper at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign were suspended Tuesday after they decided on their own to run some of the controversial cartoons that have sparked protests and outrage from Muslims around the world. Acton Gorton, the editor in chief of the Daily Illini, and Chuck Prochaska, the opinions editor, said they stand behind their decision to print cartoons of the prophet Muhammad that were originally published by a Danish newspaper. "I think it's unfortunate because what we did for our readership was something that most newspapers were scared to do," said...

Published: February 14, 2006 11:30 PM ET CHAMPAIGN Two editors at the University of Illinois student-run newspaper were suspended Tuesday for their decision to run a series of cartoons that have sparked outrage and violence around the Islamic world. Editor-in-chief Acton H. Gorton said the Daily Illini's publisher suspended him and the newspaper's opinions sections editor, Charles Prochaska, for two weeks pending the outcome of an internal investigation. "I'm very disappointed. I think this is nothing more than a cover-up," Gorton said. Publisher and general manager Mary Cory released a statement Tuesday night saying a student task force will "investigate...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Two editors at the University of Illinois student-run newspaper were suspended Tuesday for their decision to run a series of cartoons that have sparked outrage and violence around the Islamic world. Editor-in-chief Acton H. Gorton said the Daily Illini's publisher suspended him and the newspaper's opinions sections editor, Charles Prochaska, for two weeks pending the outcome of an internal investigation. "I'm very disappointed. I think this is nothing more than a cover-up," Gorton said. Daily Illini managing editor Shira Weissman would not comment on the situation Tuesday. A telephone message left with the newspaper's publisher, Mary Cory,...

The University of Illinois student newspaper Thursday published six caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that have sparked violent protests in the Middle East and Asia. Nearly every major U.S. newspaper, including the Chicago Tribune, has not published the cartoons. They were first published in late September by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, and they were reprinted in other European publications in recent weeks. While UN Secretary General Kofi Annan chastised newspapers Thursday that continue to publish the cartoons, Daily Illini editor-in-chief Acton Gorton said he decided to print them so students could better understand the Muslim response. "All across this nation,...

A column by Mike Downey of the Chicago Tribune got me thinking on this subject of web sites dedicated to firing coaches. Fire Joe Paterno.com, the subject of Downey's wrath, has backed down a bit from its "noble" cause, and the domain owner has reserved the domain name "Keep Joe Paterno.com." Too bad the board of directors at Penn State didn't reserve it first. My first foray into internet activism was Blue States for Bush. I got some hate e-mails, which I expected. The e-mails I got that really troubled me usually followed this line of logic. "Your site sucks...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois lost its appeal of the ban on the university mascot Friday and will remain on a list of schools prohibited from hosting NCAA postseason events after February. The NCAA will allow Illinois to keep its "Illini" and "Fighting Illini" nicknames. The university contended those nicknames derived from the name of the state. The governing body, however, said Chief Illiniwek remains a "hostile and abusive" image of American Indians. The mascot is a student dressed in buckskins and headdress who dances at halftimes of home football, basketball and volleyball games. The tradition began in 1926. The NCAA...

In another episode of overly sensitive university political correctness, not all mascots will be present in St. Louis this week at the Final Four. Although Ramses the Ram, Cardinal Bird the Cardinal, and Sparty the Spartan will make the trek, Chief Illiniwek has been forced to stay in Illinois for the games. "All aspects of the chief and its dance should be eliminated," said Jen Tayabji, a former Illinois student who is a member of the Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative, a group involved in trying to do away with the chief and the "Fighting Illini" moniker. This is ludicrous - I...

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) -- Keep the bus running and point it toward St. Louis. Thanks to a jaw-dropping comeback, Illinois' journey has another leg left: the Final Four. Trailing 75-60 with four minutes left, Illinois showed why it was No. 1 most of the season. With Deron Williams leading the way, the Illini staged an electrifying and improbable comeback to force overtime and then held on to beat Arizona 90-89 Saturday night to win the Chicago Regional. The Illini (36-1), who've been able to drive to their two tournament sites in Indianapolis and suburban Chicago so far, can keep on...

The long-running dispute over the University of Illinois' Chief Illiniwek as a symbol will move into a courtroom. Chief Illiniwek has long been a target of Native American groups who say he is demeaning to them. But the mascot still performs at U of I sporting events. At a news conference Tuesday, the Illinois Native American Bar Association announced it filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court. The group says continued use of Illiniwek is racial discrimination and violates civil rights laws. "The University of Illinois ought to be teaching respect for other ethnic minorities, not exploiting them. Continuation...