Revolution #63, October 1, 2006
16 Protesters Arrested as Bush Speaks at the UN
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C. Clark Kissinger, convenor of the Bush Crimes Commission, with a copy of the Commission's verdict. (center). September 19 in front of the U.N. |
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From left to right: Ann Wright, former US diplomat and judge at the Bush Crimes Commission, Beth Lamont, representative of the American Humanist Association to the U.N., Peter Cobb, Not In Our Name Project, Elaine Brower, World Can't Wait, Laurie Arbeiter, of the "We Will Not Be Silent Campaign", Aimara Lin, Not In Our Name Project. September 19 in front of the U.N. |
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Ann Wright, former US diplomat, and judge at the Bush Crimes Commission |
New York City, September 19—As George Bush stepped up to the podium at the UN to deliver his speech to the General Assembly, a group of protesters lined up across the street right in front of the building to declare, before national and international media, “Bush is a war criminal” and “Bush step down.” Organized by the International Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration (Bush Crimes Commission) and World Can’t Wait—Drive Out the Bush Regime, the protesters were at the UN to serve Bush with the Commission’s verdict of GUILTY. (The Commission’s “‘Verdict and Findings of Fact” is available online in PDF format at bushcommission.org.)
A statement from the protesters said: “We have come to the United Nations today to engage in non-violent civil disobedience. We demand the war on Iraq end immediately. We oppose any attack on Iran. We declare to the world that President George W. Bush has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He does not speak for us.
“These crimes must come to a halt. As the Not In Our Name Statement of Conscience (Jan. 2005) said: ‘It is our responsibility to stop the Bush regime from carrying out this disastrous course. We believe history will judge us sharply should we fail to act decisively.’”
According to a report on bushcommission.org, “To shut down this expression of dissent, police arrested 16, and two of the demonstrators were hit with serious bogus charges: Father Luis Barrios, from of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and a national leader of World Can’t Wait, was charged with assaulting a police officer. Fr. Barrios was actually knocked to the ground by police from behind as he held up his hands saying ‘I am not resisting.’ Geoff Millard, a disabled Iraq war vet and member of the Iraq Vets Against the War, was charged with resisting arrest when he fell down trying to board the police wagon.”
Also arrested were Ann Wright, former U.S. State Department official who resigned in protest of the Iraq war; Elaine Brower, mother of a U.S. Marine stationed in Fallujah and a spokesperson for World Can’t Wait; C. Clark Kissinger, convener of the Bush Crimes Commission; Beth Lamont, the American Humanist Association’s UN representative; and members of Granny Peace Brigade, Peace Action of NY State, Not In Our Name Project, Jewish Students & Youth Against the War, and “We Will Not Be Silent” campaign.
The previous week, on Sept. 13, a delegation from the Bush Crimes Commission delivered the guilty verdict to the White House gates. The protest at the UN was part of the Sept. 19-21 National “Bush Crimes Days.”
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