College republicans will protest the College of St. Benedict's new ban on the sale of bottled water on campus. They'll be handing out plastic water bottles today to students, faculty and passerby.
The news release I got says they'll be on the St. John's University campus at noon. I'm confused by that -- it was St. Ben's that banned bottled water. I have a call out to the group to find out what's up.
The protesters say they're defending the free-market system.
"Just as the government should not ban plastic bottles in America, a school administration should not ban the sale of plastic water bottles on their campus," said Ryan Lyk, chairman of the Minnesota College Republicans, in a statement.
The release also points out that the new "hydration stations" cost money to install. More on that here.
St. Ben's policy bans the sale and use of school dollars on bottled water. If a student wants to buy bottled water off campus and bring the bottle to class, he or she is free to do so.
