15 Arrested At White House Protesting U.S. Torture

[Clara T]

15 Arrested At White House Protesting U.S. Torture
 
By Mike Ferner
 
03/02/06 "ICH" -- -Washington –   - Fifteen people were arrested yesterday in front of the White House after winding their way for two hours through the streets of the nation’s capital, demanding the U.S. stop torturing detainees in military prisons. 
 
Members of Witness Against Torture began their protest at the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, continuing to the Capitol and the Department of Justice, and ending at the White House where U.S. Park Police carried out the arrests.  Speakers called on officials in each of the buildings to cease planning and executing policies that have injured and killed people in prisons such as Guantanamo Bay, Bagram in Afghanistan, and Abu Ghraib in Iraq. 
 
Arrested were Art Laffin, of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House in Washington, Amanda and Matt Dalaisio, and Tania Theriault of theCatholic Worker’s Mary House in New York, Susan Crane from Jonah House in Baltimore, Matt Vogel, Mark Colville, Brian Kavanaugh, Carmen Trotta, Jacqueline Allen-Doucot, Alice Gerard, Bill Streit, Tom Feagley, Edith Tetaz and Jordan Manuel.
 
The march took place on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, an annual period when Catholics pray and fast to repent for sins.  Speakers included many Biblical references in their remarks. 

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12149.htm

Note: Protest organizers said that four days prior to the demonstration they sent out approximately 1000 news releases, 100 to news media outlets in the D.C. area.  Reuters was the only news media outlet seen covering any part of the actions yesterday.

[EFerrari]

1. This topic is so upsetting, I can't even respond to it any more.

:kick:

[RagingInMiami]

2. They were charged with demonstrating without a permit

They were booked and released. This actually brings more attention to their protest than if they were just left alone, so I see it as a good sign, taking one for the team.

But what's up with this?

A 17 year-old student from California, asked what he thought about the event, said, “Torture is still bad, but it’s sometimes necessary to save other lives.”

This is somebody who obviously doesn't get it.

[Canuckistanian]

4. Obviously a Faux news watcher

That's the problem with the sorry state of the media. Only one side of the story is ever discussed.

Can't really blame the student, when would he ever hear a dissenting opinion about this?

There's no rational discourse anymore.

[bloom]

3. good for them n/t

[meganmonkey]

5. Good for them!

I stand with them in solidarity!

:patriot:

[magellan]

6. They were arrested for protesting without a permit

Something tells me if they'd applied for one they wouldn't have got it. But it would have been even more compelling to hear that a permit had been denied and they had protested anyway.

[meganmonkey]

7. You can't get a permit for the White House sidewalk

You can get one for Lafayette Park, and the street itself, but not the sidewalk. So they did what they did on purpose. They probably even gave the cops a heads up that they were planning to do it.

Last September about 400 of us got arrested there (I think these folks were there that day too - the jumpsuits look very familiar). Most of us had written the White House in the weeks before the event to request a meeting with bush (our requests were ignored, of course). We were led by a group of clergy, vets and military family members including Cindy Sheehan, and we were arrested for refusing to leave the sidewalk. Another 1,000 or so people wree in the park to support us, and were not arrested. Next time there needs to be 500,000 of us. That would get some coverage, and maybe if America saw cops on TV carrying away a 70 year old nun chanting "Arrest Bush! Arrest Bush!" it would wake them out of their stupor!!

:patriot:

[magellan]

8. Ah, I didn't know that

So you can get a permit for the street but not the swath of concrete next to it...that's crazy. Like, what's the point?

:shrug:

I would love to take part in a march in DC like you, and admire your courage in being arrested! There are people in my family who would KILL me if I did that...making it even more appealing. The thing that's held me back is seeing how little an effect it has on BushCo. Even when so many people took to the streets before the war...I was in the UK at the time watching the US anti-war marches and thought "Well, this HAS to get through to Bush**!" never realizing the coverage wasn't the same here; the US corporate media doesn't report protests faithfully, if at all. The deck is so stacked against the people, I can't even begin to imagine the number of marchers it would take to force the country to take notice...only that those numbers seem unlikely for the time being.

And of course, our corporate media whores would NEVER show a 70 year old nun being hauled off to the paddy wagon!!

I'm sorry to sound defeatist. I wrestle with it every day, probably as many Americans do. And I realize the irony, that if all of us would just get off our cans and do it instead of thinking it'll do no good, we might just achieve something. Round and round....

[meganmonkey]

9. You know the truth, man

In your own words:

if all of us would just get off our cans and do it instead of thinking it'll do no good, we might just achieve something

Just keep repeating that over and over :)

[phusion]

10. K&R

one more vote!

[Cleita]

11. At least the Catholics are on the right side of one issue,

torture. Bless them. I hope they get their message out.