By THOMAS PEIPERT
Associated Press
DENVER
About 100 students and faculty at the University of Denver and others protested against a decision by the university’s international school to give a global service award Monday to former President George W. Bush.
Protesters demonstrated on a sidewalk outside a downtown hotel where Bush was being honored at a private fundraising dinner by The Josef Korbel School.
Bush was being honored for his service as president and his efforts to fight HIV, cervical cancer and malaria in Africa.
Opponents of the award presentation faulted the 43rd president for starting the war in Iraq and allowing the use of torture on prisoners.
Kathy Joy, 63, a retired health teacher at Arapahoe Community College, said she didn’t think the award should go to Bush because of the war, but also because he cut foreign aid for family planning in Africa.
University spokeswoman Kim DeVigil insisted the university was honored by Bush’s visit and said the school should be a place where civil discourse involving all different views can take place.
More than 1,100 people were attending the private, sold-out event.
As president, Bush started the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or Pepfar, which has spent billions of dollars to fight HIV as well as malaria and tuberculosis.
Past recipients of the award include U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and former secretaries of state Condoleeza Rice and Madeleine Albright.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.