Civil Disobedience

8 Arrested in Kansas Protesting Hawgsmoke 2008

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:06:03 -0500

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The heartland says no to biennial war making competition.

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October 17, 2008

Salina, Kansas

Peace activists from across the US gathered at The Heartland Speaks, a conference organized by Salina People for Peace members Janie M. Stein and Martin Bates of Salina, KS. The conference concluded with a nonviolent direct action in response to Hawgsmoke 2008. According to www.hawgsmoke.com, Hawgsmoke is “a biennial worldwide A-10 bombing, missile, and tactical gunnery competition. Hosted by the winners of the previous competition, Hawgsmoke is an intense competition and an opportunity to share in the camaraderie and fellowship of the world’s premier Close Air Support fighter, as well as legacy of its pilots and support crews.”

Arrested and jailed for criminal trespass were: Salina People for Peace members Janie Stein and Martin Bates; from The Des Moines Catholic Worker Frank Cordaro; Salina peace activist Ralph Kresin; Voices for Creative Nonviolence Co-Coordinator Gerald Paoli; journalist and activist Wes Rehberg; Sister Margaret Rourke CSJ and Sister Agnes Carolyn Teter CSJ. All but one refused to pay the $500 bail and spent the night in jail.

Video Channel 6 KSNC

Video from Salina.com Front Page Videos

Peace activists arrested for civil disobedience

By DUANE SCHRAG Salina Journal

Oct 16, 2008

Salina KS. Eight peace activists who were part of a group protesting a bombing and strafing competition for fighter jet pilots were arrested at Salina Municipal Airport on Wednesday for trespassing.

“The war in Iraq is unjust, immoral and illegal,” Frank Cordaro, a former Catholic priest, told a group of about 45 activists at the rally at the airport. “Those are the words of Pope John (Paul) II.”

The arrests were the anticipated response to civil disobedience that was months in the planning. The spot where protesters were arrested had been worked out in advance so as to minimize disruption at the airport and ensure there was no violence. Activists who decided to get arrested wore armbands Wednesday to help police positively identify them.

Salina People for Peace organized the protest in response to local enthusiasm for Hawg-smoke, a competition in which pilots of A-10 “Warthog” fighter jets try to best each other in strafing and bombing exercises.

“The A-10 Warthog is here today as the most concrete example (of America’s aggression),” said Jeff Leys, a coordinator for Voices for Creative Nonviolence, a Chicago-based organization active in opposing war. “Where war ends is in the heartland, when the people say, ‘Enough.’ The war ends here, today, in the heartland.”

During the two-hour rally, speakers frequently had to compete with the roar of A-10s taking off and landing. There were a couple of practice runs for the flyover that is to be part of the memorial service Wednesday night: four A-10s would approach in tight formation and, overhead, one would peel off sharply, condensing vapor trailing from the wingtips.

As A-10s taxied to the terminal, their canopies open, some protesters waved and flashed peace signs; there were no visible responses.

Arranging the arrests

Deputy Salina Police Chief Carson Mansfield said the group worked with police, municipal court and the Salina Airport Authority to plan the civil disobedience. Initially there was talk of protesters climbing the chain link fence that surrounds the airfield, but to avoid injuries and damage to airport property, a perimeter, marked with yellow police tape, was set a few feet from the fence.

Protesters planned to go past the yellow tape and put banners, ribbons and hand-written messages on the fence.

Mansfield said the understanding was that he would warn protesters who crossed the tape that they were trespassing, and if they didn’t return to the designated area, they would be arrested.

And that’s just how it played out. A group of protesters crossed the tape, Mansfield issued his warning — three times, to give the other protesters time to hug and thank the ones who planned to be arrested — and then a squad of seven officers appeared from a hangar and started calmly informing the activists they were under arrest.

There were shouts of encouragement and flashed peace signs from the others attending the rally.

Arrested were Martin A. Bates, 53, 1015 Scott; Agnes C. Teter, 79, 623 Johnstown; Cordaro, 57, of Des Moines, Iowa; Ralph C. Kresin, 71, 537 W. Beloit; Wesley S. Rehberg, 72, of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Gerald F. Paoli, 48, of Chicago.; Janie M. Stein, 50, 141 S. Clark; and Margaret L. Rourke, 80, 623 Johnstown.

The rally was the last event in a conference that started Monday. “The Heartland Speaks: A Peace Coalition Action Glimpsing the Beloved Community,” consisted of several workshops on the effect of militarization and war, as well as nonviolence training.

What God, Jesus allow

On Wednesday morning, rally participants walked from Quality Inn and Suites, 2110 W. Crawford, down to the airport parking lot, where the protest took place.

“The reason I take part in these kinds of things is I’m absolutely against military aggression,” said Weeden Nichols, 68, of Hays, who retired from the Army 30 years ago. He was walking with the help of a cane. “I still think neither God nor Jesus condemns pure defense.”

Military attacks in Afghanistan were an appropriate reaction to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Nichols said. It was clear that Osama bin Laden was responsible, and his ties to the government there were undisputed. Not so the war with Iraq, Nichols said. He said the Bush administration knowingly misrepresented the situation — implied a connection between Iraq and the Sept. 11 attacks, and claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

“The (war) in Iraq is anything but defense,” Nichols said. “It’s too late now. There’s a real obligation, having broken it, to fix it.”

Why are we in Iraq?

The protesters, who were flanked by police cruisers with their emergency lights flashing, drew a small crowd as they went past Salina Area Technical College. The students were taking a break from their welding class.

“Dangedest thing I’ve ever seen,” exclaimed one student.

“I think they should get a job,” volunteered another.

“They probably have jobs,” said another.

But when asked about the war with Iraq, the students’ views seemed closer to those of the protesters.

“I don’t know why we are still over there,” said Bryce Swisher, a senior.

Reporter Duane Schrag can be reached at 822-1422 or by e-mail at .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhK85W5rRbY Janie Stein from Salina People for Peace Gets Carried Away After Crossing the Line

The anatomy of a march: Veterans for Peace event ends in arrests

Jeff Leys — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:59:39 -0500

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WITNESS AGAINST WAR 2008: From Chicago to St. Paul

Excerpt

August 31, 2008
By Jeff Severns Guntzel
Minnesota Independent

When Code Pink’s Medea Benjamin took the stage at the Veterans for Peace rally in front of the State Capitol building today, where hundreds of activists gathered before marching towards the Xcel Energy Center, she started with the string of weekend raids on her mind: “This is not the Midwestern welcome we expected!”

Her audience cheered — among them a vet hoisting a desert-camo anti-war flag:

A cadre of protesters were clad in orange jumpsuits meant to evoke those worn by prisoners at the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison. The held black hoods in their hands and stuck signs to their backs — on each sign was printed the name, age and story of a living, breathing Guantanamo detainee:

CONTINUE READING the Story with photos at Minnesota Independent

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August 31, 2008
By Jeff Severns Guntzel
Minnesota Independent

Her audience cheered — among them a vet hoisting a desert-camo anti-war flag:

CONTINUE READING the Story with photos at Minnesota Independent

Veterans for Peace march ends in 9 arrests in civil disobedience at RNC

Jeff Leys — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:36:55 -0500

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Veterans for Peace march ends in 9 arrests in civil disobedience at RNC

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August 31, 2008

(Noted: Veterans for Peace and CODEPINK organized this march. Dan Pearson and Josh Brollier, both Witness Against War participants, and Steve Clemens, a who traveled to Iraq in 2002 with Voices in the Wilderness, were arrested in this act of nonviolent civil disobedience)

View Fox-9 News Coverage

Nine Protesters Entering Restricted Area Arrested Sunday for Trespassing

A group of anti-war protesters went underneath a security barrier near the Xcel Center as an act of civil disobedience. Nine were arrested for trespassing.

Police in riot gear arrested nine people protesting at the Xcel Center Sunday, after they entered a restricted area secured by a fence. The protesters marched from the capitol to the Xcel Center, protesting the war in Iraq and the treatment of veterans coming home.

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August 31, 2008

View Fox-9 News Coverage

Nine Protesters Entering Restricted Area Arrested Sunday for Trespassing

A group of anti-war protesters went underneath a security barrier near the Xcel Center as an act of civil disobedience. Nine were arrested for trespassing.

Doug Holtz, a St. Paul police commander, said that nine people were arrested for trespassing after they passed a police roadblock into a restricted area. Eight of the nine have since been released.

They said they had planned ahead of time to cross the fence in an act of civil disobedience, and had announced their intent before the march. About 250 people watched the march.

“We are going to march into the arms of police. Whatever they are going to do is all right with us,” organizer David Harris said to the marchers before they entered the restricted zone. Harris was one of those arrested. He says the march wasn’t aimed towards Republicans, but “warmakers.”

The march was otherwise peaceful on its way from the state Capitol, organized by Veterans for Peace and peace group CodePink. As the march began, Harris read the names of soldiers and civilians killed in Iraq.

According to the Associated Press, among those arrested were: 72-year-old Jeanne Hynes, 78-year-old Betty McKenzie, 57-year-old Steve Clemens, David Harris, Duncan Hardee, and others not identified.

By 5 p.m. Sunday, eight of the nine arrested had been cited and released. The last, Duncan Hardee, is still in custody because he had no identification and Ramsey County authorities had to verify it.

The arrested can legally be held for 36 hours, not including the weekend or Labor Day holiday.

Friday night and Saturday morning, six members of the anarchist group the RNC Welcoming Committee were arrested after authorities found knives, axes, bomb-making materials and anti-war literature. It doesn’t appear that those six people arrested will be released in time to take part in the large protest planned for Monday, and are not required by law to be released until noon Wednesday.

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WITNESS AGAINST WAR 2008: From Chicago to St. Paul

Witness Against War walks 500th mile in to St. Paul

Dan Pearson — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:37:07 -0500

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at Vets for Peace March, walkers prevented from dialoging with RNC attendees

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We were glad to attend the Vets for Peace Convention and to hear compelling “summons” to help build the peace movement.

Two of our walkers joined a contingent of the march which attempted, nonviolently, to deliver letters to people who are participating in the Republican National Convention.

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Witness Against War walkers bade farewell to Lauren Cannon, Bob Abplanalp and Kate Zilla, who left for Chicago early this morning.

Brad Lyttle, from Chicago, joined remaining walkers to participate in a solemn march organized by Veterans for Peace and Code Pink members. We carried tombstones bearing the names of people, both from the U.S. and from Iraq, who’ve died since the U.S. invasion in 2003. Forty five participants donned orange jumb suits and black cloth head masks, calling attention to prisoners at Guantanamo. “When you sweat a lot and perhaps have trouble breathing, that’s o.k.,” said Roger Cuthbertson, who helped organize the group wearing the detainee outfits. “That will help you identify with the detainees, and you just think of them and you’ll be able to keep going.”

Two of our walkers, Dan Pearson and Joshua Brollier, joined a contingent of the march which attempted, nonviolently, to deliver letters to people who are participating in the Republican National Convention. They had also hoped to speak with people who’ve begun arriving at the Excel Center, and perhaps interact with delegates. Instead, they were arrested and cited for trespass. They were released later in the afternoon.

Yesterday evening, the Veterans for Peace hosted John Yee and Jeremy Scahill as main speakers at a banquet which concluded the VFP convention. We were glad to attend and to hear compelling “summons” to help build the peace movement.

— Kathy Kelly Co-coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence 1249 West Argyle Street Chicago, IL 60640 773-878-3815 www.vcnv.org

Fort McCoy: Concerts and Patriotic Encounters

Jeff Leys — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:14:10 -0500

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Reflections on the August weekend at Fort McCoy

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August 25, 2008
By Gene Stoltzfus
Gene’s Blog

Route 21 from Tomah, Wisconsin west to Sparta goes through hilly corn fields and woods. After the tiny berg of Tunnel City the fields end and Fort McCoy begins. Eighty miles northwest of Madison this Fort is one of the few major army training bases in the Northern Midwest. The Gene Stoltzfusoops headed for Iraq and other combat zones. It also provides jobs for civilians.

On this Sunday in August with reporters and cameras looking on the base prepared for the visit of 50 peace walkers on Witness Against War pilgrimage from Chicago to St. Paul. Twelve walkers would seek to enter the base to talk with soldiers and officers about war and peace. I was one of the twelve. The 350 mile walk was organized by Chicago based Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

I joined the group at Tunnel City five miles east of the main entrance to Fort McCoy. State Route 21 was thick with security cars among army trucks, Hummers, SUVs and other vehicles, some out for a Sunday excursion and others basking in vacation days. Horn blowing and waves from people encouraged us. No harsh fists or crypto-patriotic shouts. By 11 am we reached the main entrance only to discover that it had been closed and, that persons seeking entrance must go on.

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August 25, 2008
By Gene Stoltzfus
Gene’s Blog

The night before an Alice Cooper heavy metal concert on the base was not only opened to the entire community, it also challenged the trees and animals of the surrounding forests. In thick darkness the rock concert sounds were antiphonally answered by coyote calls. On days or nights when rock concert sounds don’t invade, the seven tiny mock villages hidden in the base’s woods are used as training territory. In these simulated third world hamlets soldiers practice house raids, and surveillance or capture of hostile villagers who are thought to exist in distant lands. In communities along the Mississippi River people in need of employment are hired at $12 per hour to imitate enemy village life. We were not able to assess the risks for temporary employment of this sort. Retirement benefits are nonexistent because enemy village war game employees are considered temporary help.

Members of the Department of the Army Police, a civilian body now used for security duty that was once the responsibility of military police, greeted us and refused our polite requests for entry to Fort McCoy in order to complete our mission of dialogue. As I began the walk into the grand entry way where rock concert goers had travelled the previous night I could overhear police orders barked into tightly gripped two way radios. “Bring on the teams.” I assumed that they were not referring to Christian Peacemaker Teams but did not anticipate the twenty police deployed to meet our motley inter-generational group. For a moment I felt like I might be in a movie set. The late morning sun was perfect. Two very different forces were walking (marching might be a little strong) and something was about to happen. Even after we were stopped, frisked and placed in stiff plastic hand cuffs I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Everything seemed so choreographed.

Inside the security building I was interviewed, photographed, fingerprinted and ticketed. I would be informed when I had to appear in court, probably in Madison. The plastic cuffs bit into my arms but I managed to carry on reasonably human conversations with the officers. As my processing moved towards completion, I engaged the Sargent who commanded the unit, regarding strategies of security. I explained I had been working on security matters from a nonviolent point of view for many years. I also noted that no doubt his responsibilities came about because of advanced education, degrees and careful reflection on the theories of effective police work. I pressed him to talk about his own theory of security and asked if he believed that the best way to achieve security was by way of overwhelming force.

In our conversation I reminded him that we are in fact both concerned about the security of the human family and even in his text books there were various theories that suggested minimal and even no use of force. Discussing security with a Sargent who commands police for the Department of the Army while in hand cuffs may be a little disjunctive but I think we had a tiny but worth while two way conversation. Judging from the honks and waves of support from soldiers outside the base I suspect the reception inside beyond the guard post might have been even more cordial than the arresting greeting from police on that August day.

After two hours of processing we were driven several miles beyond the base and released. Finally I felt like I had departed the movie set for good. Every one had been polite, too nice. What was achieved? Perhaps local people who have long held uneasiness about the cultural, economic and military influence of the base were encouraged - at least they said they were. Folks in surrounding towns thanked us for joining with local people in the witness. And for me there was an added personal dimension.

On many occasions in Iraq I spent hours in homes that had been the object of US army raids. Was Fort McCoy one of the places where army recruits learned to turn over furniture, threaten families in the middle of the night and cart off young men and husbands for long hours of interrogation at Abu Gharib? Would Wisconsin tolerate this behavior in the homes of its own residents? Could our nation survive such a primitive strategy? Coming here this Sabbath day to pray and to shine the light on military tactics abroad was one more response to those Iraq home visits.

I was tempted to seek temporary employment in those mock villages of the forest where I could feel the energy of a practice raid first hand. I know the participating soldiers come from orderly villages and farms like those we passed in our walk. I know they were not trained to do house raids in their homes, churches or high schools. What would the people at the English Lutheran Church in La Crosse think if they saw the overturned furniture, devastated families and trashed homes created by Wisconsin citizens? Does the Governor understand the thin veneer of pseudo-patriotism and public policy that allows him to send his own citizens off to distant lands to do house raids?.

Now tell me, those American flags pasted so prominently on police uniforms, what exactly do they mean? In times like this I get confused My mind is teased with questions about patriotism. Who is the patriot, the one wearing the flag or the unarmed detained walker here in the heartland?

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WITNESS AGAINST WAR 2008: From Chicago to St. Paul

Walk Blog: Josh Brollier, Civil Disobedience a Success?

voices — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:14:48 -0500

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WITNESS AGAINST WAR 2008: From Chicago to St. Paul

Short Information Teaser

Josh Brollier writes about the non-violent act of civil resistance at Ft McCoy

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By Joshua Brollier
Aug 12, 2008

The press has gone out and the word has spread about our non-violent act of civil resistance at Ft McCoy, and I have been reflecting on the event and hoping that our action was an encouragement to the soldiers who are set to deploy to Iraq in 2009. We attempted to enter the base and have conversations with soldiers about their right to refuse illegal orders and to file as conscientious objectors. We also wanted to inform them that Spencer Black is going to introduce a piece of legislature that will potentially keep the 32nd Brigade Combat Team of the Wisconsin National Guard at home- this will be the second to third deployment of many members of the guard.

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By Joshua Brollier
Aug 12, 2008

The thirteen of us who entered the base were eager to hear the Red Arrow’s stories and struggles concerning Iraq and Afghanistan and wanted to gauge their response to upcoming legislature-opening up a dialogue for their input and involvement. Our group was denied entry to the base as was to be expected. This refusal of access was somewhat humorously set against the backdrop of the Alice Cooper concert that took place on the base the night before.

The moment was a bit surreal as we approached the line of civilian contracted base officers, but that disconnect lasted only for an instant as we came closer to the people who would seek to keep us from entering the base. I extended the invitation for the crew to join us in our venture by escorting us to the PX where we could talk with and deliver an open letter to soldiers. My offer was declined and I was outfitted with a stylish pair of zip-cuffs.

The processing was done rather quickly and we were treated with kindness and a good bit of curiosity by the base police. In fact, we were able to dialogue with the officers about the war, Ft McCoy, and the civil-disobedience itself. One of the older officials who wrote my ticket even remarked that he thought that the action was a success! He thanked us for our co-operation and peaceful spirit. As we were being removed from base property, the driver told me that there was a “mutual respect” between us and there seemed to be a genuine connection made there.

So the question remains- was our action a success? I am not sure what would constitute a success after the last 18 years of economic and military warfare against Iraq, but it is a healthy discipline to ask ourselves if we achieved our goals. After we regrouped, Jessica from Christian Peacemaker Teams remarked that it would have been a success if the officers and soldiers had decided to help put an end to the war. I agree. We definitely made progress by bringing a scarcely heard voice to Ft McCoy and by the connections made between ourselves and the community. And we plan to continue with this momentum as we head to the Twin Cities.

However, I think this spirit of optimism and empowerment has to be tempered and cultivated by the harsh reality that many people are facing as a result of our country’s “wars of choice.” I think our ambitions must also be weighed against the long and stubborn history of U.S. militarism and then contrasted by the rich tradition of non-violent resistance that seasoned activists have been engaging in for years. In agreement with our recently incarcerated friend- Kathy Kelly, I am sure that these activists would encourage us to use every non-violent and non-destructive means at our disposal to speak truth to power and demand an end to the violence and imperialism being waged against our brothers and sisters across the globe.

I am also energized and challenged by the determination and fearless activism of groups committed to non-violent change in Iraq (La Onf) and Zimbabwe (Women of Zimbabwe Arise). These courageous souls are risking their lives every time they speak out and they continue to act despite the often brutal consequences. I hope that we can learn from their sacrifices by stepping up our efforts to hold ourselves, our leaders, and our corporations accountable for the destruction of life we have brought to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tomorrow it is on to “Representative” Ron Kind’s office- one step at a time…

My visit to Ft. McCoy with Witness Against War

voices — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:11:09 -0500

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WITNESS AGAINST WAR 2008: From Chicago to St. Paul

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Iraq Veterans Against the War member Todd E. Dennis writes about the action at Fort McCoy

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by Todd E. Dennis
August 11, 2008

Read the article by Iraq Veterans Against the War member Todd E. Dennis

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by Todd E. Dennis
August 11, 2008

Read the article by Iraq Veterans Against the War member Todd E. Dennis

Winonan arrested at Fort McCoy protest

Jeff Leys — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:01:01 -0500

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WITNESS AGAINST WAR 2008: From Chicago to St. Paul

Excerpt

August 12, 2008
By Kevin Behr
Winona Daily News

A Winona woman was among 13 protesters arrested by military police Sunday for trespassing during a protest at the Fort McCoy military base near Sparta, Wis.

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August 12, 2008
By Kevin Behr
Winona Daily News

A Winona woman was among 13 protesters arrested by military police Sunday for trespassing during a protest at the Fort McCoy military base near Sparta, Wis.

Twelve of the 13 were cited for trespassing and released, including Eileen Hanson, 34, who was arrested in Winona for trespassing during a war protest at the National Guard Armory in 2006. Kathy Kelly, 54, a co-coordinator of the Chicago-based anti-war group Voices for Creative Nonviolence, was held in the Monroe County Jail on an outstanding warrant from Ashland County, Wis.

About 50 protesters marching on foot from Chicago to St. Paul to protest the Iraq war made a stop at Fort McCoy on Sunday, Public Affairs Officer Linda Fournier said. She said the group had been denied entry into the base for security and safety reasons, but 13 of them decided to enter the base anyway.

They were warned to disperse, but when they continued walking in, officers arrested them, according to the group’s Web site. Fournier said all 13 were placed in plastic handcuffs, fingerprinted and photographed at a special inspection facility on the base.

Fournier said the group had a right to protest the war but by entering the military base, they overstepped their bounds. “It’s not that we’re against what they do, but we also have to protect the safety and security of our people.”

The Voices for Creative Nonviolence group is expected to arrive in Winona on Aug. 18, according to their Web site. The marchers plan to be in St. Paul in time for the Republican National Convention on Sept. 1-4.

Contact Kevin Behr at (507) 453-3524 or at .

Closed Navy "Nuclear War Trigger" Still Casting Long Shadow

Jeff Leys — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:31:50 -0500

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Arrest warrants issued for charges a decade old

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By John LaForge
Nukewatch
August 11, 2008

TUNNEL CITY, Wisconsin — The long history of anti-nuclear protests in Wisconsin caught up yesterday with Kathy Kelly, a founder of Voices for Creative Nonviolence in Chicago, when a group of 13 peace activists walked onto the grounds of Ft. McCoy, the National Guard base near here, calling for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

Ft. McCoy is one of the country’s largest Guard bases and is a central training and deployment hub for occupation troops being shipped into Iraq and Afghanistan.

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By John LaForge
Nukewatch
August 11, 2008

Ft. McCoy is one of the country’s largest Guard bases and is a central training and deployment hub for occupation troops being shipped into Iraq and Afghanistan.

Of the 13 peace activists that were charged and ticketed with trespass, only Ms. Kelly was kept in the Monroe County jail in Sparta, because of an outstanding warrant. Kelly, who has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was being held on a 1999 warrant from Ashland County, Wisconsin. The warrant stems from a protest against the now-closed submarine transmitter Project E.L.F. near Clam Lake.

The Extremely Low Frequency (E.L.F.) transmitter was the object of nuclear weapons protests from 1968 until it closed in 2004. Critics called it a “nuclear war trigger” because of its function in signaling a potential first-strike with submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

The Ashland County Sheriff’s Dept. did not return calls inquiring about whether the county would go to the expense of sending deputies 237 miles to Sparta to execute the nine-year-old warrant.

A January 17, 1999 Martin Luther King Day demonstration at Project E.L.F. resulted in trespass fines being issued to 15 people. Kelly refused to pay her $756.00 fine and Ashland County Circuit Court Judge Robert Eaton issued the warrant which is still in effect.

After 1984, when a federal court decision that shut-down Project E.L.F. over environmental concerns was reversed by a federal appeals court, the site was inundated with civil disobedience. Over 44 demonstrations, resulting in more than 660 arrests, took place at the secluded site between 1984 and 2004. On five different occasions disarmament activists temporarily shut down the transmitter, using hand saws to cut utility poles that suspended the antenna. Long prison and jail terms were served by the “Swords into Plowshares” activists as well as by war resisters who refused to pay trespass fines.

Non-payment of fines or war taxes in civil disobedience campaigns is an long-standing American tradition beginning with Henry David Thoreau, whose famous essay “Resistance to Civil Government” or “Civil Disobedience,” lambasted the hypocrisy of supporting with taxes a war that one opposes in principle.

The August 10 action at Ft. McCoy was part of the Witness Against War campaign, a 450-mile walk from Chicago to Saint Paul to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Organized by Voices for Nonviolence, the walk began on July 12 and will arrive in Saint Paul on August 30 for the Republican National Convention. (Witness Against War can be contacted at 312-286-8535, or 773-391-0040.)

The walkers chose a perfect day to start their seven-week-long trek. Thoreau was born in 1817 — on July 12.

John LaForge, a staffer at Nukewatch, walked with the Witness Against War campaign for just a day, August 10.

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WITNESS AGAINST WAR 2008: From Chicago to St. Paul

13 Arrested at Fort McCoy for Opposing Iraq War

Jeff Leys — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:11:31 -0500

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WITNESS AGAINST WAR 2008: From Chicago to St. Paul

Short Information Teaser

Arrests at Fort McCoy Wisconsin on August 10

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August 10, 2008

View Photos

August 9 was a day of preparation for Witness Against War. Preparation for the act of nonviolent civil resistance to take place the following day.

We gathered at the Lafayette Town Hall just north of Sparta. Our host’s family goes back 7 generations on this land. His aunt and uncle donated the property on which the town hall now sits.

VCNV Author

Jeff Leys

Voices Author

Jeff Leys

Body

August 10, 2008

View Photos

August 9 was a day of preparation for Witness Against War. Preparation for the act of nonviolent civil resistance to take place the following day.

We gathered at the Lafayette Town Hall just north of Sparta. Our host’s family goes back 7 generations on this land. His aunt and uncle donated the property on which the town hall now sits.

The nonviolence workshop was to begin at 2:00 p.m. At 1:50 p.m. we looked at the clock on the wall and wondered aloud whether anyone would be coming. Only our friend Steve Carlson from Trego, Wisconsin had arrived by that time. The surrounding hills and bluffs prevented our cell phones from receiving signals, so we had no way of knowing whether those we expected to arrive were 30 seconds away or 30 minutes away (or stranded on the side of the road).

Then, as if they were waiting together just down the road and around the curve, all our colleagues began to arrive within minutes of each other. Christian Peacemaker Teams arrived with the 15 people currently training to become team members or reservists for CPT. Brian and Renee arrived from Des Moines. Ceylon and Christine arrived from Memphis. Joy from Madison and John from Eau Claire. The Lafayette Town Hall was transformed from the grouping of Witness Against War walkers to a near overflow gathering of committed social justice advocates.

Planning progressed for the following day’s action at Fort McCoy as we began to put flesh on a fairly skeletal action concept. By the end of the evening plans were in place for the following day.

Sunday, August 10, began with breakfast at the home of Dick and Violet, our hosts. We arrived at Tunnel City, our starting point that day, at 9:30 a.m., in time to meet with Sheriff Pederson to discuss the day’s walk. We explained that we intended to walk on the shoulder of the road facing traffic, as required by state traffic laws. He explained that he’d met with his officers and with officers of the Wisconsin State Highway Patrol that morning. Their intent was to ensure that the walk was able to proceed safely, and not to interfere with the walk’s progress. Indeed State Patrol and County Sheriff patrol cars accompanied the walk as it processed from Tunnel City to the edge of Fort McCoy and onward. One patrol officer turned on his vehicles flashing red and blue lights to slow traffic down along the highway (with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour and a fairly narrow shoulder), keeping a health distance form the front of the walk and backing up on an even pace with the walk.

We began walking at about 9:45 a.m. The first question mark of the day arrived three miles into the walk. At that point Highway 21, on which we were walking, enters Fort McCoy with a yellow sign informing motorists that they are “Entering a Military Area.” We were relatively certain we’d be able to proceed without any difficulty since we’d received a letter from Colonel Daniel Culver of the base advising us that normally the only time the base law enforcement would get involved along Highway 21 is if the operations of the base were being interfered with. Since we were walking on the shoulder, we were relatively certain we’d be fine. Yet, the question mark remained: would there be a change in the base’s position now that the walk had arrived? Would we be met by Fort McCoy security determined to prevent us from crossing the base?

The answer was “No”. Fort McCoy’s command would not block the progress of the walk. We would keep on walking forward, never turning back.

Witness Against War aimed to engage in civil disobedience / civil resistance at the main gate of Fort McCoy. A flashing traffic control sign located along the highway near the entry to Fort McCoy advised incoming traffic that the main gate was closed and directed traffic elsewhere.

Had Fort McCoy decided to wait us out? To allow us to engage in a vigil on the entryway into the base, without allowing us onto the base? Since our intent was to remain in order to gain entry into the base to talk with soldiers about the war, the question began to be raised: How long would we have to wait to gain entry?

Witness Against War arrived at Fort McCoy at 11:45 a.m. We gathered along the shoulder of the highway, across from the main gate. Those of us intending to seek entry into the base-and to risk arrest in doing so-gathered together. We thirteen crossed the highway together when a break in traffic made it safe to do so.

Fort McCoy had placed wooden horses across the driveway entrance to the base. Two officers from the base security were present. As we approached, and began to pass the wooden horses, Fort McCoy’s law enforcement engaged us in conversation. The officer advised us that if we went beyond the horses and continued to walk up the driveway towards the entrance that we would be subject to arrest. He asked if there was any communication which would like to present to him for him to relay to the base commander. We replied that we sought to distribute an open letter regarding the Iraq war to those currently serving on the base and to engage in dialogue with those on the base.

The letter we sought to deliver began:

“”We today come to Fort McCoy to seek an end to the war in and occupation of Iraq by the United States. We come to Fort McCoy because of its key role in training National Guard units deploying to Iraq-a training that should end immediately with the commitment of the U.S. to keep National Guard units home and withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq….”

The letter concluded:

“…the strain upon service men and women and their families continues unabated with repeat deployments to Iraq. The Washington National Guard’s 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team will deploy to Iraq for the second time this fall. The 32nd Red Arrow Brigade Combat Team of the Wisconsin National Guard will deploy to Iraq in 2009. This will be the largest deployment to combat of the Wisconsin National Guard since World War II when it logged the most days in theater of any U.S. Army unit. We call upon the United States to keep the National Guard at home in the U.S. and to end these repeat deployments abroad.

“We come to Fort McCoy to, in some small way, act in solidarity with members of the military who choose to nonviolently resist this war by refusing to be deployed to Iraq. We encourage members of the active duty military, Reserve and National Guard to consider refusing deployment orders and to be in contact with the GI Rights Hotline regarding their rights within the military at 1-800-394-9544.”

We stated that we intended to move forward to deliver the letter to those on the base and that we understood the potential consequences of doing so. He said he understood what we intended to do and moved aside as we processed up the driveway.

Then a “swarm” of officers from Fort McCoy emerged from the garage at the base entry point. We were walking slowly and deliberately towards them. They were walking slowly and deliberately towards us. It was clear that we would meet somewhere in the middle but that neither felt intimidated by the other nor that either side felt as if it was necessary to try to intimidate the other side.

We thirteen were arrested, processed and released in short order on the offense of trespass to land. We’ll be notified at some later time the date on which we are to appear in court. Those arrested include: Kathy Kelly, 54, Co-Coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence ; Jeff Leys, 44, of Watertown, Wisconsin; Joy First, 54, of Madison, WI; John Bachman, 56, Eau Claire, WI; Brian Terrell, 52, of Des Moines, IA; Renee Espeland, 47 of Des Moines, IA; Kryss Chupp, 49, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Chicago; Ceylon Mooney, 33, Memphis, TN; Eileen Hanson, 34, Winona, MN; Joshua Brollier, 25, Clarkesville, TN; Lauren Cannon, 38, seminarian at Chicago Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL; Alice Gerard, 51, of Grand Island, NY; and Gene Stoltzfus, 68, of Ontario, Canada.

All but one were released the same day. Kathy Kelly was detained on an outstanding warrant that dates back over ten years to an act of nonviolent civil resistance at Project ELF. ELF was the Navy’s old transmitter system, closed in 2004, that played a key role in the nuclear first strategy of the United States (ELF was the bell ringer to call U.S. nuclear missile subs to the ocean’s surface to receive precise launch orders for a nuclear first strike against another country). It’s expected that she will be transferred to Ashland County to appear before the judge on the warrant. Arrest warrants have also been issued for several others previously arrested and convicted for acts of resistance to Project ELF who refused to pay fines.

Witness Against War continues westward to La Crosse later this week and then begins its northwestward trek along the Mississippi River, aiming to arrive in Saint Paul on August 30, in time for the Republican National Convention. Emphasizing that the issue is not about Democrat or Republican; that it’s not about Left or Right; but rather that it is about what is Right and Wrong-Witness Against War began its trek in Chicago, site of the 1968 Democratic Convention and will end in Saint Paul, site of this year’s Republican Convention. It truly is a matter of challenging the powers-that-be within both political parties and holding both accountable for ending the Iraq and Afghanistan war.