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
  
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  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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