National Actions
- Subject: SOA Watch Activists Arrested in Philadelphia During the Republican National Convention
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2000 15:22:20 +0100
From: Julia A. Dowd
Greetings SOAWWest Activists:
Thanks to all of you who have responded to our recent request for e-mail
addresses. To our new e-mail recipients, welcome!
The following is an update from the SOA Watch office in Washington, DC. To
get on their mailing list, write to soawatch@knight-hub.com. (I don't plan
to forward all of their e-mails to our group in the future to prevent you
from receiving duplicate e-mail alerts.)
Thanks!
Julia Dowd
415-422-5901
********************************
SOA Watch Activists Arrested in Philadelphia During the Republican National
Convention
As the Republican National Convention converged on Philadelphia, School of
the Americas Watch (SOAW) activists were there to voice opposition to the
Congressional refusal to acknowledge the horrific crimes against humanity
that graduates of the SOA have perpetrated, and to declare shame on those
who voted against the closure of the SOA and the establishment of a Truth
Commission.
Monday, July 31st at 8:30 AM, in front of the Philadelphia City Hall, SOA
Watch activists enacted a massacre of Latin American Campesinos at the
hands of SOA graduates -- directed by Uncle Sam. As Father Roy Bourgeois
spoke about the atrocities committed in El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and
Colombia by SOA graduates (represented by 4 people wearing signs with the
countries around their neck), Bill Brown, donned as Uncle Sam, shrugged
his shoulders--initially denying any responsibility, but lost his patience
and directed the soldiers to begin killing the 4 campesinos. As directed,
the soldiers made an aggressive gesture towards the four, as if to shoot
them, covering them with the red paint . As the paint hit each of them,
they fell to the ground. The soldiers continued to spread this blood-like
substance on the victims, and outlined their bodies with the paint --
dramatically representing a massacre. While many of the participants
surrounding the scenario began screaming and crying out, others solemnly
sang "No Mas, No More..."
All the while the police kept their distance... until the soldiers and
Uncle Sam began carrying the bodies into the intersection. One by one, the
peasants were laid out in the streets and outlined in chalk -- in the
middle of the bodies one of the soldiers inscribed "SOA." Hordes of
Philadelphia police then surrounded the protesters, approximately 30 were
poised with batons in hand, while the others, using their bikes, formed a
tight perimeter around the bodies -- 2 to 3 officers deep -- blocking the
view of the media and the observers and moved in to arrest the
participants.
Those arrested included Darren Alexander, (24, from Virginia); Bill
Brown, (31, from Pennsylvania); Maureen Doyle, (47, from Missouri); Linda
Panetta, (34, from Pennsylvania); Sebastian Petsu, (20, from New Jersey);
Alison Styan, (17, from Pennsylvania); and Oberlin College students Becky
Johnson, (21, from Ohio) and Laurel Paget-Seekins, (20, from California).
Although Linda Panetta, director of SOAW North-East, was not directly
involved as one of the participants in the action, her arrest was ordered
because of her refusal to demand that the other participants clear the
streets. Additionally, towards the end of the action another participant,
Bryn Hammerstrong (PA), joined the action by sitting in the street--he was
also arrested.
The nine were taken to the Philadelphia Police holding station, processed
and released 11 hours later. They were charged with a range of two to five
misdemeanors: obstructing justice, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct,
obstructing a highway and conspiracy to obstruct a highway. The court date
is scheduled for September 16th.
This action was the first with arrests during the Republican National
Convention and drew a tremendous amount of media attention from across the
US to the struggle to close the School of the Americas. In addition to
independent media coverage, other national television and radio coverage
included: CNN, "Democracy Now," NPR, the New York Post, USA Today, New
York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Constitution,
Philadelphia Daily News, the Columbus Ledger Enquirer, and many other
media sources.
If there was coverage in your regional area, please let us know by sending
an e-mail to soawne@aol.com or by sending us a copy
of the article to SOA Watch/NE 6367 Overbrook Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
19151.
We would like to especially thank the tremendous solidarity we received
from the Independent Media Center, the R2K Media Collective, as well as
the R2K Legal Team and the National Lawyers Guild. They did an incredible
job of supporting our action, offering assistance while we were being
detained, and directing media calls.
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