Petition circulates in support of student reportedly injured in Charlottesville

A statement of solidarity for a USC student who was reportedly injured counter-protesting a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. began to circulate on social media Saturday afternoon, reaching nearly 450 signatures from students and professors by the time of publication.

The petition was started by the USC Cinema and Media Studies Graduate Association. In it, the student organization affirms its support for Aubtin Heydari, a senior majoring in screenwriting, who was hit when a vehicle ran into him and 19 other counter-protesters, one of whom was killed. The statement also included  a reaction to USC’s lack of support for Heydari.

“We are deeply appalled and disturbed that the university administration has made no public statements acknowledging that one of its students nearly lost his life while fighting against neo-fascism, racism, and injustice in America,” the statement read.

Heydari said he was grateful for the support, as he recovers from his injuries in a hospital in Charlottesville.

“The fact that they put this petition together and so many people signed it really touches me in a very sincere way,” Heydari said.

Philana Payton, a Ph.D. student in cinema and media studies, who helped write and circulate the petition, said that she was shocked by the fact that USC has not publicly spoken about the violence in Charlottesville.

“Our biggest concern is the fact that the University has yet to make any public denouncement of the alt-right, white supremacists, ‘unite the right’ rallys and neo-Nazis that are terrorizing cities across the country,” Payton said.

Along with its criticism of the University’s actions regarding the attacks, the petition also states that Heydari has had to contact Disability Services and Programs on his own, despite being currently in the hospital in Charlottesville

“By failing to reach out to Heydari privately and refusing to issue a statement publicly, the university has undermined the gravity of the Charlottesville attack, and neglected the wellbeing of Heydari,” the petition read.

Subsequent to the petition’s publication, the post was later updated to say that Heydari had been contacted by USC administration.

Heydari said he received an email from Lynette Merriman, associate vice provost for campus crisis support and intervention. He added that the message was time-marked as Aug. 13, a day after the Charlottesville attacks. Heydari said he only saw the email recently.

“I have been informed that you were a victim of the tragic events in Charlottesville this weekend,” the email read. “ I am so, so sorry to hear that you were injured.  Please let me know if we can do anything to assist you … do not hesitate to contact me.”

Heydari declined to comment in regard to the specifics of his injuries and the occurrences in Charlottesville.

“All my life I have been called a terrorist because of my ethnicity,” Heydari posted on his Facebook the night of the Charlottesville attacks. “Today I was hit by one in a car. He was a white man.”

The petition ended by thanking Heydari for fighting for equal rights and social justice, both in Charlottesville and at USC.

“Heydari is consistently on the frontlines advocating for transformative social justice both on and off campus,” the statement read. “We are thankful that he survived the Charlottesville terrorist attack and that he is healing. We will continue to stand in solidarity with Heydari as he prepares to return to campus.”

USC could not be reached for a comment at the time of publication.