Arrests Made at Boston Veterans Day Event When Antiwar Group Refuses to Move Away From Podium

[rodeodance]

Source: ap



Arrests Made at Boston Veterans Day Event When Antiwar Group Refuses to Move Away From Podium

Staff
AP News

Nov 12, 2007 10:34 EST

Several anti-war veterans were arrested when they protested their exclusion from a Veterans Day event by refusing to move away from a podium.



The Boston chapter of a group called Veterans for Peace estimated 15 of its members and supporters were arrested Sunday at the event sponsored by the American Legion. Boston Police said several arrests were made, but did not have an exact number. The detainees were later released on bail.

"We're opposed to the U.S. invasion of Iraq; we're opposed to the planned invasion of Iran," said group member Winston Warfield, a Vietnam War veteran. "A lot of veterans view us as traitors."

Warfield said the American Legion rejected their request to have a speaker at the event, which took place outside City Hall. A call to the American Legion office in Boston was not immediately returned Monday...


Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/War_foes_arrested_at_Veterans_Day_e_11122007.html

[John Q. Citizen]

1. Veterans arresting veterans, Disgusting. Why not just let them participate also.

It would be a much more American way to handle it.

[lazyriver]

5. The only flaw in your plan is it's based on the presumption

this is still America.

[John Q. Citizen]

11. Well, it hasn't been America for a long long time with the Legion.

[sam sarrha]

2. they were lucky they were not Tazered and pepper sprayed under the eye lids

[rodeodance]

3. they were up against the American Legion (pretty hard core conservative bunch)

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EFerrari]

4. Go, Veterans for Peace!

Thank you!

:applause:

[TomInTib]

14. DU's own unhappycamper was one of those arrested.

He told me last night.

Cuffed and stuffed (paddywagon), made bail and is going to court next week.

[EFerrari]

16. ((((unhappycamper))))

Thank you!

And, thank you, Tom.

[143tbone]

21. Good job, unhappycamper!!! Thank you. n/t

[madame defarge]

6. Group included a 92 year old veteran!

Read more about this at Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/11/12/124341/36

[hedgehog]

7. Wasn't the American Legion also responsible for beating vets

riding the rails on the way to the Bonus March?

Last I heard, you didn't have to be a vet to join the Legion.

[liberal hypnotist]

8. Thanks for standing up.

American Legion is a political organization first, that derives it's membership from veterans. It is not in touch with the anti-war veterans majority. I thank you as a Viet Nam Era Veteran for standing up. Please keep us posted for help with legal defense, bail, etc.

[rockybelt]

10. Viewed as traitors

I view you as true patriots.It is easy to stand by and watch the destruction being done to our country. It takes a true patriot to stand up and say enough is enough and I will fight you until we have won our freedoms back.
Keep up the good work. Maybe, some day, these people will realize how un-patriotic they are.

[leftchick]

12. Photo!

:applause:

[seriousstan]

13. Why didn't Veterans for Peace sponsor their own event?

[liberal hypnotist]

18. It was Veterans Day?

That is their event.

[seriousstan]

19. No it is not their event. It was an the event sponsored by the American Legion.

"From our point of view, it's a public affair," Warfield said, despite U.S. Supreme Court precedent that allows private groups that obtain proper permits to choose who can participate in their events.

It really doesn't matter what Veterans for Peace thinks is public. The American Legion planned the event, sponsored the event got the proper permits for the event and controlled the speaker choice at their event.

Why didn't the Veterans for Peace do the same? I think it is because they could only get 15 people together. A group no bigger than a decent hackysack circle does not have the right to co-opt someone else's event.

[Ignis]

23. Uh, they asked to be included in the AL event and were denied.

So if the AL wants to hold a Veterans Day event, don't you think they should allow ALL veterans to attend and participate, rather than excluding veterans whose politics they don't like?

[micraphone]

15. Why the handcuffs?

How dangerous are these old guys and gals? Are they going to do in the the cops with their WALKING STICKS?

Disgusting. Again.

[tomg]

17. Thanks for all you've done in defending our

country from its enemies, foreign and domestic.

[Spangle]

20. Sorry, Today is about Honoring Service

Not a protest time.

Protest Vets that are not included, yes. Protest VET things, maybe. But actual service, not the time. IT seems to degrade those in service in Iraq, and that isn't right. Bush should be protested for that, not the Vets or Soliders.

[provis99]

22. well, except the pro-Iraq war people were all over on Veteran's Day

it seems that in Bush's America, the proper way to honor Veteran's Day is by praising war, not condemning it. You also might consider that Veteran's Day is known in the rest of the world as Armistice Day, which celebrates the end of war, not its continuance.