Veterans Demand Peace: 113 Arrested at White House

[spooked911]

Run time: 04:25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leLgyzpDEtc   Posted on YouTube: March 20, 2011 By YouTube Member: liamh2 Views on YouTube: 291   Posted on DU: March 20, 2011 By DU Member: spooked911 Views on DU: 2446

 
Kudos to the brave people who spoke out on the criminal and evil wars of the American empire.

[old mark]

1. K&R- Welcome home, veterans- no money, no benefits, no medical care, no jobs, but

plenty of jail cells...Great to have you back!

mark

[midnight]

2. I want our Vets for peace to be able to use their rights

without being arrested..... They have put their life on the line to protect these rights,and now they can't use them?

[Pharaoh]

3. How can they arrest people for a peaceful protest?

This is not America.

[neoralme]

7. This has not been America for many years. This is now a full-blown

Fascist State.

[toppertwot]

26. Fascist State

I agree with you, we do have a full-blown Fascist State! But, not to worry FEMA has special camps for trouble makers.

[neoralme]

27. Based on the quality of FEMA's work, I doubt if they could run

a day-camp for Brownies.

[Frisbee]

21. America was a great idea that has failed in practice. n/t

[sulphurdunn]

4. The demonstration

looked peaceful enough to me. Why was anyone arrested? I believe the Constitution says something about the right (not the privilege) of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Of course, there are also quaint and apparently archaic provisions that our elected leaders no longer enforce regarding privacy, freedom of speech, right to due process and protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

[Kurovski]

5. K&R. Thank you. (nt)

[glinda]

6. Looks like our Government has turned the corner big time. Insane.

[TheEuclideanOne]

10. Yep. Big Fucking time!!!

This is utterly shocking. I have literally never seen a more peaceful protest. The most activity that I saw here was for 1 single individiual to require the cops to lift him by his shoulders instead of him walking with them. You can not get any more peaceful than when almost 100% of the arrests involve the police officer asking the guy to turn around so that he can put the handcuffs on him and the guy complies very calmly. Remember, many of the people arrested are veterans. All I can say is What the fucking fuck!!?!?!?!?

For Obama to endorse this is the tipping point for me.

BTW, for all of you guys who think that I am a bad guy for arguing against the president when he orders arrests like these, fuck you too. Just ignore it and keep it real secret because the other guys are alot worse. Well, I would rather have this on the hands of the Rethuglicans than have this on the watch of my party.

[spooked911]

13. yeah-- it's insane

I guess they were asked to leave, and they didn't, so they got arrested. SO much for freedom of speech.

[upstatecajun]

8. WTF

No Media on this? What Fuc#$%^ change?

[spooked911]

12. the media regularly ignores anti-war protests, and labor protests

only the frickin' teabaggers get the media's love. But it's insane how little news this got.

Of course, yesterday, we got a lovely new war for the media to fawn over.

[2banon]

9. Classic Orwell

Typical. Amerika's Hypocrisy in Full View.


Loud condemnations and criticisms (correctly) deploring police arrests and violence against demonstrators/protesters currently underway in the ME and North Africa (and other countries such as China) yet, the actions of the State against our own people peacefully protesting at our nation's capital, are time and time again meted out similarly here in the USA as the countrys we condemn.

The cognitive dissonance in this country is a complete bafflement to me, whether a Dem or Repuke in office, it's exactly the same response/treatment. Never do I hear a call from high officials directed to the police to stand down and allow peaceful demonstrators to march, assemble, express redress the govt without interference.

[TatonkaJames]

11. Diplomacy ?

In my opinion, these demonstrations are the only diplomacy worth a salt as we are looked upon as the aggressor of the world.
The one line that stood out was "Arrest the criminals that started the wars, not us." This is what shows the dumbing down of our nation.
Repubs and Dems alike, they are so allied with their party it's hard to fathom any supporter of either party when you are losing your home,
job, pension or benefits.
Totally dumbed down and statistics show it when we're ranked 25th in education from 1st in one generation.
If we don't continue with bigger and more robust demonstrations, they will surely take all we have and there will be no recourse.

[annm4peace]

14. send to your local media and Senators

ask them why they didn't cover so many Veterans protesting peacefully and so many arrested.

and let them know there is alternative media that is covering this.

[humbled_opinion]

15. The world is watching you.....

Now I wonder.... will some country come to the aid of our peaceful protestors?

Never thought I would endorse a primary challenge to Obama but this is the straw that breaks the camels back....

After campaigning on promises to end wars, receiving a Nobel Peace Prize, Obama just started an illegal and unjust war in Libya..... Congress has not authorized the use of military force or taxpayer dollars to kill Muslims in Libya but Obama has decided that he will do what he wants regardless of precedent and in total disregard to his campaign promises.

[stlsaxman]

16. who's that being arrested at 3:11...? oh- it's only DANIEL FUCKIN' ELSBERG!?!?

nobody picked up on that? sheesh!

[EFerrari]

22. He was arrested again today for sitting down at Abu Quantico.

But they released him right away because the headline just would not be worth it. lol

[Matt Shapiro]

17. Does anyone know why these peaceful protestors were arrested?

What was the excuse?

[bertman]

20. My citation said "Failure to follow a lawful order". FWIW. We were ordered

leave the area and told we would be arrested if we did not leave. The bullhorn was pretty scratchy (and I'm hard of hearing) so I didn't hear exactly what the officer said, but that's about the gist of it.

I don't know the exact nature of the law we were alleged to have violated.

Edited for additional info.

[orbitalman]

18. K & R

[bertman]

19. It was a TOTALLY peaceful protest. Yes, that was Daniel Ellsberg. He spoke

eloquently about the first American who spied on his own government and who was captured and executed for that: Nathan Hale. Hale spied on his own king's forces at the behest of the rebel general, George Washington, after the American rebels were defeated by their king's army and driven out of the city of New York. Hale was the American patriot who was quoted as saying "I regret that I only have one life to give for my country." Ellsberg compared the actions of Pfc. Bradley Manning to those of Cpt. Nathan Hale, both of whom were working to defeat their own corrupt governments that had become despotic, militaristic empires.

The veterans and other war protesters who spoke at the demonstration were all exercising their First Amendment rights. After a march, the protesters who decided to defy the government and risk arrest assembled on the fence line in front of the White House, with cheering and chanting supporters behind the police barricades erected to keep them separated.

Eventually, the police SWAT team and the Park Police arrested the veterans, including Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan vets, war resistance leaders such as Ellsberg and David Swanson and Col. Ann Wright, along with members of Code Pink, The Raging Grannies, and young activists who wanted to show their solidarity with the demonstrators and to end the wars.

I have to say that the police were very professional, courteous, and considerate in carrying out their duties. But, that begs the important question that others have already raised: Why Should We Risk Arrest For Peacefully Exercising Our Rights By Protesting In Front of OUR White House?

Thanks to the folks who organized this demonstration and these acts of civil disobedience. I hope that the text of some of the speeches will be posted on the website for these protests: StopTheseWars.Org

[EFerrari]

23. You guys looked GREAT out there!

:loveya:

[bertman]

28. Thanks, EFerrari. That was my first anti-war demonstration since 1969

when I marched in D.C. after returning from Vietnam. Also my first arrest for civil disobedience.

It is an empowering experience to be in the presence of and in solidarity with so many dedicated activists who refuse to give up on trying to stop these obscene wars.

There were a lot of the over-60 age group there. I wish there had been many more of the younger generation, but I guess that not having a draft means fewer 'involved' civilians.

Sad to say, but the economic situation probably hampered a lot of folks who cannot afford to make the journey to D.C., much less pay the $100 fine.

[Name removed]

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[swilton]

25. Go Vets!