51 Busted at U.S. Terrorist Training Camp

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Tuesday November 25, 2003 16:11 by Ciaron - Dublin Catholic Worker

Kathy Kelly Among Those Arrested Protesting

Kathy Kelly was one of the 51 arrested at the School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, Georgia, USA over the past weekend.

Kathy has contributed much to the anti-war movement in Ireland over the past year. She addressed the "Festival of St. Brigid" in Kildare on her way to Iraq in January. her talk was to have a major influence on the CW5 who disabled a US Navy war Plae the following week.

Returning to Ireland from Iraq after the US aerial bombardment to lead the Afri famine walk. Along with Caoimhe Butterly & the Pit Stop Ploughshares she addressed a public meeting at Wynns following the walk.

Nuns, Priests, Veterans & Students Arrested on the Military Base after Commiting Civil Disobedience to Close School of Americas

Columbus, GA - Over ten thousand people gathered this weekend outside the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia in the most diverse demonstration yet of opposition to the School of the Americas, renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/WHISC), a combat-training school for Latin American soldiers. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, "disappeared", massacred, and forced into refuge by SOA graduates.

The gathering culminated today with a solemn "funeral" procession. More than 30 people had been arrested after entering the base in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience. They took this action despite knowing they likely face 3-6 months in federal prison. They are being held at the Muscogee County Jail in Columbus. Since protests against SOA/WHISC began over ten years ago, 210 people have served or are now serving sentences of prison and probation for civil disobedience. SOA Watch activist have collectively served more than 75 years in federal prisons across the country.

"Prison will not deter us," said Kathy Kelly, who was among those arrested today. "We intend to close this school and to change the foreign policy that this school represents." Kelly works with and helped initiate Voices in the Wilderness, a grassroots organization that campaigns to end economic and military warfare against the Iraqi people.

Yesterday the U.S. Military blasted music at high decibels from inside Ft. Benning, directed at the peaceful, permitted demonstration outside of the gates of the base. The music stopped late yesterday afternoon. Throughout the weekend Columbus Police used metal detectors to search every person attending the demonstration.

"We will not allow these blatantly unconstitutional attempts to drown out our voices," said Bill Quigley, a professor of law at Loyola Law School, and lawyer for SOA Watch. "These childish actions by the federal, state and local government only strengthen our resolve to stand up for our rights and all the victims of the School of the Americas."

The Columbus convergence concludes a week of resistance to empire and corporate globalization. Thousands gathered in Miami to protest the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), and 100,000 gathered in London-during Bush's visit-to protest the invasion and occupation of Iraq. SOA Watch organizers have been coordinating with organizers in Miami, and working in solidarity with organizers in England. The three mobilizations released a joint statement of solidarity (see http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=689).

"Our struggles are interconnected," said Fr. Roy Bourgeouis, founder of SOA Watch. "From the SOA, to FTAA, to the invasion of Iraq, our government's foreign policy is serving the interests of a few, and making us a lot of enemies."



The Atlanta Independent Media Center covered the annual School of the Americas/WHISC protests and civil disobedience live from just outside the main gates of Fort Benning. For independent media coverage and live audio broadcasting from Columbus visit http://www.atlanta.indymedia.org




Ten thousand from across the Americas gathered from November 21-23, 2003 at the gates of the U.S. military base Fort Benning in Georgia - home of the notorious School of the Americas (renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) - to stand in Solidarity with the victims of the School of Assassins and to speak out against terror and violence.

For over a decade, students, religious, labor, veterans, human rights, and
social/global justice groups have been converging every November at the
gates of Fort Benning, GA to speak out in solidarity with the people of
the Americas and to engage in nonviolent direct action.

The spirit of liberation is rising up in the people all around the globe.
It cannot be silenced by threats and violence any more than it can be
contained by prison walls. Our friends who were prosecuted for their
witness against the SOA in November 2002 will continue to speak out during
their sentences of prison and probation. We call on everyone to speak out
against the continuous atrocities perpetrated by graduates of the
SOA/WHISC throughout Latin America.




What you can do:


Donate. Your help is needed to cover the costs of the November Vigil.

Talk to your local media about your participation in the protests to close the SOA.

Contact your Members of Congress and ask them to support legislation to close the SOA.


Contact SOA Watch: PO Box 4566 ~ Washington, DC, 20017

Phone: (202) 234 3440 ~ email: info@soaw.org
www.soaw.org




Background: The US Army School of Americas (SOA), based in Fort Benning, Georgia, trains Latin American soldiers in combat, counter-insurgency, and counter-narcotics. Graduates of the SOA are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. Among the SOA's nearly 60,000 graduates are notorious dictators Manuel Noriega and Omar Torrijos of Panama, Leopoldo Galtieri and Roberto Viola of Argentina, Juan Velasco Alvarado of Peru, Guillermo Rodriguez of Ecuador, and Hugo Banzer Suarez of Bolivia. Lower-level SOA graduates have participated in human rights abuses that include the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the El Mozote Massacre of 900 civilians. (See Grads in the News.)

On January 17, 2001 the SOA was replaced by the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC).
The result of a Department of Defense proposal included in the Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal 2001, the name-change measure passed when the House of Representatives defeated a bi-partisan amendment to close the SOA and conduct a congressional investigation by a narrow ten vote margin. (See Talking Points, Critique of New School, Vote Roll Call.)

In a media interview, Georgia Senator and SOA supporter, the late Paul Coverdell, characterized the DOD proposal as "cosmetic" changes that would ensure that the SOA could continue its mission and operation. Critics of the SOA concur. The new military training school is the continuation of the SOA under a new name. It is a new name, but the same shame.

SOA Watch is an independent organization that seeks to close the US Army School of the Americas, under whatever name it is called, through vigils and fasts, demonstrations and nonviolent protest, as well as media and legislative work.