Antiwar Activists Detained At House Appropriations Committee Hearing

[WilliamPitt]

Antiwar Activists Detained At House Appropriations Committee Hearing
Press Release, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, 8 March 2006

Washington, D.C. - March 8 - Two activists were arrested today after disrupting the hearing of the House Appropriations Committee. The Committee is considering approving nearly $65 billion in supplemental spending to fund the war in Iraq. The two activists were arrested after they read the names of Iraqi citizens and U.S. soldiers who have died in this war. The action was part of the “Winter of Our Discontent” actions organized by Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

“We act today to stop the death and suffering this war is causing in Iraq, and to urge others in the peace movement to raise the ante” said Mike Ferner, a member of Veterans for Peace and Voices for Creative Nonviolence, and a former member of Toledo City Council. “Over 2300 U.S. soldiers and well over 100,000 Iraqi citizens have died in this war. It is time to end the occupation; to bring our troops home; and to pay so that Iraqis can rebuild their country after 15 years of brutal economic and military warfare waged by the U.S.”

Since February 15, VCNV members have participated in a liquids-only fast and vigil at the U.S. Capitol. Four have gone without food as an act of solidarity with Iraqi citizens and as a call to the U.S. government and citizens to end the war against Iraq. This action is the second action of civil resistance carried out during the Winter of Our Discontent campaign. The first occurred on February 27 in which 7 people were arrested at the White House.

Key demands of the campaign include: 1) an immediate end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq; 2) full funding of the reconstruction of Iraq by the U.S.; 3) cancellation of the odious debt incurred by Saddam Hussein’s regime, without any International Monetary Fund conditions; and 4) cancellation of the war reparations charges imposed against Iraq by the U.N. for Hussein’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait in 1990-91.

Those arrested and currently in custody include: Mike Ferner, member of Veterans for Peace and VCNV (from Toledo, Ohio); Ed Kinane with Voices for Creative Nonviolence, who was present in Baghdad at the time of the U.S. invasion in 2003 (from Syracuse, NY).

http://blog.pdamerica.org/?p=543

[KoKo]

1. MSNBC just showed a disrupter at hearing with Condi...saying "blood is on

your hands, blood is on your hands." This protester was escorted out while Condi smirked and smiled.

Don't know if this is new today....just caught it on MSNBC.

[Harald Ragnarsson]

2. That spoke volumes to me

It should serve as a clear indication of what your "leaders" think of you.

When they cut back to her and she was sharing a smile and a chuckle with some of our "representatives" over the man pointing out we have blood on our hands from an unjustified invasion. Ha ha, there they go again! Worse than children, aren't they?

I'm just waiting for everyone else to get pissed off enough. I was ready to run them out of town back in Iran/Contra days. Their enablers on the Democratic left as well.