Veterans & Activists Found Guilty!

Veterans and Activist found guilty for March 19, 2011 White House Action

Dear Friends,

After a four day trial which concluded yesterday, eighteen peace activists, including seven veterans, were convicted and sentenced to fines by D.C. Superior Court Judge Canan. We were being tried for our nonviolent action on the White House sidewalk/plaza on March 19, 2011, which marked the beginning on the ninth year of the US invasion of Iraq. The protest, during which 113 people were arrested, called for an end to all US Wars and the release of imprisoned military whistle-blower Private Bradley Manning.

It was an extraordinary trial where the lie of war and crimes of government were confronted and exposed. Also, the selective enforcement of regulations by U.S. Park Police regarding who can be stationary on the White House sidewalk and plaza was also pointedly challenged. However, the court we were before, as is the case with every U.S. court faced by resisters, chose to focus on legal technicalities, rather than address the
criminality of a government and military responsible for murdering people.
Motions submitted regarding the relevance of International humanitarian law, and
having experts testify about US war crimes were denied. Instead of being
exonerated for witnessing to the truth and trying to save lives, we were found
guilty and fined. Hence another deeply held conviction!

It was an honor to be tried with these activists and veterans, some of whom were on trial for the first time. I will always cherish this experience. 

Below is a press release sent out by Veterans for Peace which offer a brief summary of the trial. Also please see and article by a lawyer friend regarding her experience of the trial, and which includes my closing statement. Kathleen Kirwin, who was present in court on Thursday, posted her article on the web site: War Is a Crime. Org. (formerly after Downing Street) The link is: http://warisacrime.org/content/never-more-proud-be-courtroom

And finally, please see the excerpt of the moving closing statement by Elliott Adams, president of Veterans for Peace.

Thank you so much for your prayers and heartfelt support for all of us who were on trial. I am deeply grateful. We continue to keep our eyes on the prize and hold on!!!

With love and gratitude, Art Laffin Dorothy Day Catholic Worker

August Pentagon Resisters Sentencing Update

On August 9, the anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombing of Nagasaki, and the martyrdom of Sr. Edith Stein and Franz Jagerstatter, Catholic Workers’ Amber and Kevin Mason and Bill Frankel-Streit, peace activist Rosemary Thompson from Baltimore, and Sr. Margaret McKenna from the New Jerusalem community in Philadelphia, were arrested at the Pentagon as they stood outside the designated “protest area” near the visitor’s entrance holding photos of the A-bomb victims and a banner that said: “No More Hiroshima’s and Nagasaki’s.” They appeared in in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, VA on Friday, Oct. 21. Charges against Amber and Kevin Mason, from the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, were dropped. (In recent years U.S. prosecutors in these cases have a policy whereby they do not prosecute first time arrestees at the Pentagon).  Bill, Rosemary and Sr. Margaret entered compelled to act and risk arrest. U.S. Magistrate Jones then gave each person a $250 fine.

Letters requested from our friend Michael Walli

Dorothy Day CW community member Mike Walli is now in OHIO! He is eager to hear from you, please send letters of support to our dear friend at the following address;

Michael Walli 92108-020

FCI Elkton

Box 10

Lisbon, OH 44432

Witness In Support of Dr. King’s Message on Nonviolence, No War, Equality and Social Justice

When: Sunday, October 16, 2011, from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Where: West Potomac Park (Meet in designated area and look for the King banner. 
   (call Art @ 202-360-6416 for witness location).

Sponsoring Group: Dorothy Day Catholic Worker

On October 16 the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial will be dedicated. In addition to all the great civil rights leaders who will speak, President Obama will also speak at the “ceremonial dedication.” We want to honor Dr. King’s legacy by making sure that his commitment to nonviolence and abolishing war is clear and visible during the dedication. In a prayerful spirit, we will display banners and signs representing Dr. King’s and our commitment for a nonviolent world.

I know people have different commitments this Sunday morning and this is a short notice invite. However if you are able to come, even for a short time, that would be great. If you can come, please contact Art @ 202-360-6416, artlaffin@hotmail.com. Please spread the word!
For more info about the ceremony, visit www.dedicatethedream.org

Show your support for Art Laffin & fellow activists in court!

UPDATE: Day 4 of trial and final day to attend court in support of activist will be Friday, Oct. 28th, room 219 at 10am

This is an update and reminder to let you know that 19 people, including a WWII vet, several Vietnam combat veterans, and Dorothy Day CWr Art Laffin, will be tried on Tuesday October 25th before Judge Russell Canan, in D.C. Superior Court,  Rm. 219. If you are local, please stop by–your support is very important and necessary. We continue to keep our eyes on the prize! And hold on!

 The March 19^th action raised issues of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the cost of the wars to American society, and the continued detention of whistleblower Bradley Manning.  One hundred thirteen persons were arrested on the White House sidewalk by US Park Police, and 19 of those will proceed to a trial. The co-defendants will participate in a bench trial before Judge Russell F. Canan, Jr., Associate Judge of the DC Superior Court.  The charges include:  Failure to Obey a Lawful Order, and blocking/incommoding a sidewalk. They will argue that they were properly petitioning their government under the First Amendment to change its policies of war and aggression, and related defenses.  They will present their defense pro se, assisted by attorney-advisors Ann Wilcox, Deborah Anderson and Mark Goldstone.

The co-defendants will hold a rally and press conference at 8:15 a.m. in front of DC Superior Court, 500 Indiana Ave., NW, and then proceed to Courtroom 313 for the trial which is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. The trial is expected to last all day Tuesday and probably extend into Wednesday.

Press Contact: Elliott Adams, President, Veterans for Peace, (518) 284-2048, elliottadams@juno.com