Report from the front lines - protesting Pelosi at her book tour! Two arrested!

[Emillereid]

My husband and I were among the protesters outside! Peter Thottam is an Attorney & Community Activist (http://www.peterthottam.com/pelosi.html), Jodie is Code Pink L.A. and Marcie is a leader of PDALA.

Pelosi Clashes With Protesters Over Impeachment

By Jason Leopold and Alan Breslauer
The Public Record
Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's appearance Wednesday at a West Los Angeles college to discuss her recently published book was marred by dozens of protestors and several angry outbursts by audience members who demanded Pelosi immediately authorize a House committee to hold impeachment hearings against President George W. Bush.

To View the Video and read the rest of the article:

http://pubrecord.org/nationworld/1-nationworld/255-pelosi-clashes-with-protesters-over-impeachment.html





ACCOUNTS FROM LA GRASSROOTS:

Peter Thottam was arrested last night at Pelosi 's speech at University of Judaism.
I was arrested last night at Pelosi's book-signing event (trespassing charges/heckling). Spent the night in jail.

I would do it again. - Peter Thottam - [email protected]

Here's the essence of what Peter said to Pelosi:

"I am going to vomit. Who gave you the right to destroy the Constitution and take Impeachment off the table? Our first, second, fourth, fifth and eight Constitutional amendments are being annihilated. 1 million Iraqis are dead. 5,000 Americans including Cindy Sheehan's son. We've spent over 1 trillion taxpayer dollars on a war that should never have been started. Our constitution is being destroyed, Nancy. Bring back our Constitution... Bring it back (being dragged out of the room)..."

Security guard called the LAPD officers and made a citizen's arrest. Spent the night in jail. The police officers were sympathetic and agreed about the role of big money in Congress. They agreed that Pelosi and these reps are just tools.

Would do it again? Absolutely. One of the best things I've ever done. The look on her face was priceless. Deer in the headlights X 10?

We are far too passive and non-confrontational. Kumbaya moments? People are dying...

Who are we kidding. I plan to resign and turn in my bar license. Laws? Who are we kidding.

I know Jodie spoke afterwards. Ditto w/ Jennifer. Jodie wasn't booked. I'm not sure about Jennifer.

Insights on others? Pelosi/Congress needs to hear from Millions like us... Enough w/ the street protests. Enough with the cyberspace email streams...

I just got out of the Pacific Division station. Just caught a cab and got your voicemails (they gave me back my confiscated cell phone about one hour ago). Gotta rush to the airport. I have a plane to catch.

The system is clearly non-functional. It doesn't work. The media is a circus. A side-show. They lie. They lie.
... They lie. The disconnect b/w Nancy Pelosi (and many of the people in that audience) w/ what is going on here in the U.S. and abroad is apalling. This clown is Speaker of the House? I plan to make the failure of impeachment and of Congress a center-piece in my September 11th talk with Bowman, Griffin. Damn it...

I have an appearance in court Sept. 4th. I'll let you know how it goes.
Peter Thottam - [email protected] - www.911TruthLA.com

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Inside Report from Marcy Winograd:

Protestors Dog Pelosi on Her LA Book Tour at American Jewish University

Pelosi thanked her host, American Jewish University, proclaimed her support for Israel as a Jewish state, and then talked about the importance of women owning their power – this from the woman who upon assuming her role as Speaker of the House declared impeachment off the table, thus immediately surrendering her power to hold the Bush administration accountable for war crimes.

Mid-way through Pelosi's somewhat surreal Know Your Power: A Message to America’s Daughters book chat in Los Angeles -- Peter Thottam, founder of the LA Impeachment Center -- couldn't take the small-talk and platitudes anymore.

Jumping up, a few seats back from the stage, Thottam shouted, Who gave you the right to destroy the Constitution and take Impeachment off the table? Our first, second, fourth, fifth and eight Constitutional amendments are being annihilated. 1 million Iraqis are dead. 5,000 Americans including Cindy Sheehan's son. We've spent over 1 trillion taxpayer dollars on a war that should never have been started. Our constitution is being destroyed, Nancy. Bring back our Constitution... Bring it back ... Security moved in on Peter, took him away, arrested him and threw him in jail for the night.

Quote from Peter Thottam -- Security Guard called the LAPD officers and made a citizen's arrest. Spent the night in jail. The police officers were sympathetic and agreed about the role of big money in Congress. They agreed that Pelosi and these reps are just tools.


Seconds after Peter's challenge, I shot up, two rows back from the stage, smack dab in the center of the audience, asking, Nancy, were you fully briefed on torture? Were you briefed on torture? Then came Jodie Evans, co-founder of Code Pink, holding out a copy of the US Constitution, offering it to Pelosi, just in case she missed the repeated mentions of impeachment as a remedy for abuse of power. Security moved in on Jodie, too, whisking her out of the auditorium at American Jewish University, high atop Sepulveda, just past the fifty protestors who came to greet Pelosi with Impeachment is on Our Table and Out of Iraq Now! and No Attack on Iran! signs and banners.

During Pelosi’s entire book talk, some of us -- Sara Nichols, Jodie Evans, Linda Milazzo, Marcy Winograd, Tighe Barry – held up our Nancy books with messages we scrawled in big black letters on the inside cover -- Protect Iran - Honor Your Oath - Impeach! - Hold Bolton and Rove in Contempt -- Nancy, Torture? Torture? Torture? and more about specific articles of the Constitution which called for impeachment. Security personnel whispered, watched us -- seemingly unsure of how to respond to this act of subtle, yet distracting resistance. (continued below)

At one point during her talk, Pelosi, visibly nervous, looked right at us, those of us sitting two rows back, front and center, and told us, almost apologetically, "I was an activist too, I am a progressive, I want the war to end, too. I want to get out of Iraq" and then -- "We need to move our troops into Afghanistan, not Iraq."

When Pelosi finished, no questions taken, no dialogue allowed, several of us shouted at her, Use your power, Nancy, to impeach these war criminals. Use your power! Do not be complicit!


Photo by Linda Sutton, Vice-Chair of Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles

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Meanwhile...

Activists from PDLA, Code Pink, The National Impeachment Network, Neighbors for Peace and Justice and several other groups implemented the Outside strategy, ringing Mulholland Drive and several approaches to last night's event, beginning long before its start time.

Shadowed by an unusually large police presence and infiltrated by extremely clean-cut fellows claiming to be local "film makers," activists persevered through the entire book signing with the goal of getting their message in front of the Speaker: The night shot below shows the huge "Impeachment is on OUR table!" banner just moments before Pelosi's limo was obliged to exit right past it. - Michael Jay, Co-Chair, PDLA

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From Jodie Evans of CODEPINK:

Pelosi is on a book tour with "Know Your Power". Tonight at the American Jewish University we had over 40 people outside with giant Impeach banners. The road to park was lined with people and messages. 12 of us had tickets to get in. We met at 6:30 and agreed with the order we would get up in and some were chosen to stay seated and wait for their time in line for book signings to get the questions answered.

Our cameras were taken away in the search before entering. As they were looking in my bag, they got distracted by someone else and I was waved by with, "You look harmless."

8 of us sat on the second row in the middle, including Tighe, Sara Nichols, Marcy Winograd, Linda Milazzo.... We took the back inside of the book and wrote messages with our sharpie, Use your Power, Torture? You Knew? Uphold the Constitution...etc. We let her come in and start talking and then raised the books and the inside covers with messages, it was a row of dissent. She was flustered couldn't remember the question asked and stammered. Then security came and disrupted trying to get us to leave, gesturing and frowning, we didn't look at him or move. We sat there for 20 minutes. Then she started to talk about how good all the members of Congress are and Peter Thottam lost it and stood up screaming at her. He resisted those who were trying to drag him out, he was on the edge of the first row so easy to get to and was dragged out.

As he was being dragged out we were supporting his message and yelling out our own. Then it quieted and she talked about how she was upholding the constitution and I leapt up and said no you aren't and offered her Kucinich's 35, Bugliosi's book and Susskind's book marked with how Bush has broken the law. I sited her comment on the view and told her I was delivering what she asked for.

They tried to shut me up but she said she came from the streets and I had a right to speak until she had no answer and started yelling at me that she WAS upholding the constitution and that Impeachment would fail and by then security had made it to the middle of the row and dragged me out.

The police escorted me to where Peter as in handcuffs and I told them I did not resist and she had told me to speak. Security told them that was true so I was escorted to my car and told if I was found on that property that night I would be arrested. As I left there were still 20 activists outside with the Impeachment banners, they had just ordered pizza and were staying until she drove past. Pelosi was there with 2 of her daughters.

After I left, in popcorn progression everyone else got out with their question and message, the host finally said it is over because these people have been too disruptive and they went to get books signed. They cut off the signing before our team got to the table.

Alexandra Pelosie called Tim Carpenter today to see if he could pull us off, he didn't even make the call. I heard it tonight from Michael Jay.

For those in SF, check out my photo, I can send the top tomorrow and the books if you want the props, not sure when your dates are. The photo didn't really work...the shirt says NANCY: Use Your Power to IMPEACH. It is a great top for making into a sign. I had it on under my shirt and pulled it into position when I sat down. Light and easy.

Xxx
jodie