Over 240 Arrested Since "Occupation Watch" Launched to Call on Congress to End War Funding

[babylonsister]

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/27/1356254

Over 240 Arrested Since "Occupation Watch" Launched to Call on Congress to End War Funding

The Senate prepares to vote this week on a $100 billion spending bill that would give the President $100 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Last month, the group Voices For Creative Nonviolence launched the Occupation Project. Activists around the country traveled to congressional offices and conducted sit-ins while calling on lawmakers to stop funding the war. We speak with veteran peace activist Kathy Kelly. The Senate is preparing to vote this week on a spending bill that would give the President $100 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but also establish a timeline for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq by next year. We speak with veteran peace activist Kathy Kelly On Capitol Hill, the Senate is preparing to vote this week on a spending bill that would give the President $100 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but also establish a timeline for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq by next year. On Friday the House passed a similar bill by a margin of 218 to 212.

A total of 14 Democrats voted against the bill including eight who oppose any more funding of the war. The eight anti-war Democrats were, Maxine Waters, Lynn Woolsey, Diane Watson and Barbara Lee, all of California, Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, John Lewis of Georgia, Mike McNulty of New York and Mike Michaud of Maine.

Many anti-war activists were pushing Congress to reject all future funding of the war. Last month, the group Voices For Creative Nonviolence launched the Occupation Project. Activists around the country traveled to congressional offices and conducted sit-ins while calling on lawmakers to stop funding the war.

Over 240 peace activists have been arrested since the Occupation Project began.

Kathy Kelly - the co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence - joins us here in New York. In 1997 Kathy Kelly founded Voices in the Wilderness which campaigned against the U.S. sanctions in Iraq. She has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times. Her latest book is called "Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison."

[Webster Green]

1. I'm proud of my congresswoman, Lynn Woolsey!

She is great!

[jaksavage]

2. They stood up for what we believe

More of us must get out there, more of us have to act up, if they have 130 thousand US troops and another 100,000 contractors, We have to show a huge effort, big disruption, get attention, Get up stand up, Stand up for what's right. Do something everyone.

[babylonsister]

3. Amen to that! nt