Occupation of Obama's Iowa Office by Peace Activists

[bigtree]

from ADS: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/29768



CAPTION: Kathy Kelly, co-director of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, reads names of Iraqis and U.S. military killed in Iraq war, while peace activists occupy Barak Obama's Iowa campaign headquarters for 90 minutes. Des Moines police arrested Kelly and seven others on trespass charges and took them to the Polk County jail January 2, 2008.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. Why don't they camp out at McCain's headquarters? nt

[skipos]

6. Because Dems, like DUers, love circular firing squads. nt

[LSK]

22. thats what I am wondering n/t

[RFKJrNews]

2. Don't Tase Me, Bro'!!!!!!

n/t

[salin]

3. Instead of arresting, wouldn't it make sense to invite them in

and participate in paying homage to the fallen soldiers?

I know that this is a horribly busy time to interupt activities at head quarters - but if one handled it differently, I would think that some in the office could continue with their work.

I just have started to wonder if there are other ways that those who have the office "taken over" by activists could respond.

But not to only criticize one side - why not "takeover" Mitts headquarters (or other GOP candidate) - his rhetoric is pro war and his folks could learn something, perhaps, by hearing the real names of the casualties of the war that Mitt wants to perpetuate.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. I suspect they weren't there to talk.

[9119495]

5. no. The offices lack the space.

All of them. I've worked in these offices the last three elections in Iowa.

This is the same as wing-nuts coming in to pray for you as far as dems are concerned. They can't give up the space or the resources to deal with this. Not now.

[sjdnb]

7. They did go to Mitt's office ... from Raw Story

"About a dozen anti-war protesters calling for an immediate US withdrawal from Iraq descended on the campaign offices of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney Wednesday before being arrested. ...Eight protesters were arrested at Obama's office and charged with trespassing, while four others were arrested at Romeny's Iowa campaign office, Gillespie reported."

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/War_protesters_arrested_at_Obama_headquarters_0103.html

Good to see some Catholics haven't gone Catholic League.

[salin]

11. good to hear that. Mitt's office was occupied as well.

[MethuenProgressive]

8. Notice they weren't protesting at a Richardson HQ?

Here's why:
www.thedifferenceoniraq.com
www.2013istoolate.com

[peacebaby3]

21. They want to protest at all the candidate HQs and hitting the front-runners first.

I saw Kelly on C-Span yesterday morning. Looks like they might not make it now. They protested outside Huckabee's office day before yesterday so why would they now go in the office? Who knows....

[Hutzpa]

9. Why would they choose his office

for this type of activity, they've already started the nastiness, don't trust these folks I tell ya.

[bigtree]

10. they also hit romney's office . . .

here's their argument: http://vcnv.org/obama-and-romney-iowa-campaign-offices-occupied-by-peace-activists


Explaining why Senator Obama’s office was targeted, Voices for Creative Nonviolence co-director, Dan Pearson, pointed to the Illinois Senator’s consistent support for war funding until a May, 2007 supplemental funding vote “which everyone knew was going to fail anyway. Even his proposed Iraq De-Escalation Act of 2007 wasn’t really anti-war. It allows for thousands of U.S. troops to stay in Iraq and others to be deployed to Afghanistan and other countries in the region when the only place they belong is back here.”

Pearson said the SODAPOP campaign has not yet received a response to a letter delivered to Obama last October, asking him to pledge to completely withdraw from Iraq within 100 days of assuming office; halt all military actions against Iraq and Iran; fund the rebuilding of Iraq as well as health, education and infrastructure needs in the U.S.; and provide “…the highest quality health care, education and jobs training benefits for veterans of our country’s Armed Services.”

“Today we will visit his Iowa headquarters and ask him to publicly pledge to fulfill those demands and become a true antiwar candidate,” Pearson concluded.

Another SODAPOP participant, Brian Terrell, Director of the Catholic Peace Ministry in Des Moines, said that as of yesterday he was ambivalent about which candidate’s office to occupy, “but now I see this statement from (Ohio Congressman Dennis) Kucinich which I think is really irresponsible, asking his supporters to make Barak Obama their second choice…that they both stand for change. But what kind of change is he talking about? Leaving 40-60,000 troops in Iraq? Leaving on the table the bombing of Iran? Asking Iowans to support increased military spending? I hope our action here counters the message Kucinich is putting out (about Obama).”

http://vcnv.org/

[Hutzpa]

15. On that note, why

didn't they pay Hillary Clinton a visit also, she voted to invade Iran and voted to keep funding the War in Iraq, I'm I missing something here...I hope not.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Were they arrested for Diisturbing the War?

Bravo to them.

[Marrah_G]

13. Don't agree with their choice of targets.

[bigtree]

14. another account here

from Raw Story: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/War_protesters_arrested_at_Obama_headquarters_0103.html


A dozen protesters arrested outside Obama, Romney Iowa headquarters

Thursday January 3, 2008

About a dozen anti-war protesters calling for an immediate US withdrawal from Iraq descended on the campaign offices of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney Wednesday before being arrested.

Protesters ranged in age from 23 to 76 and were part of a "loose coalition of Catholic peace activists and veteran anti-war demonstrators," according to The Guardian.

"I don't see Obama as the change we want to see," protestor Brian Terrell, 51, told the London paper. "We're asking Obama to change."

Reporters were shuffled from Obama's campaign office upon the arrival of the anti-war activists, who represented Voices for Creative Nonviolence and the Iowa Occupation Project, according to Atlantic Free Press.

"Reporters and photojournalists representing news organizations in Japan, Germany, Great Britain, and the USA were hindered in their efforts to report on a bona fide news event when (Obama's Iowa communications director Josh) Earnest insisted they work outside in the sub-freezing single digit cold," reports Michael Gillespie for AFP.

Eight protesters were arrested at Obama's office and charged with trespassing, while four others were arrested at Romeny's Iowa campaign office, Gillespie reported.

The protesters, according to Gillespie, told Obama staffers they hadn't received any response to a letter sent in October asking Obama to pledge a complete withdrawal from Iraq within 100 days of taking office and to halt all military action against Iraq and Iran, among other demands.

“We’re going to be here until we get that answer," Brian Terrell, executive director of the Catholic Peace Ministry demanded, "until we get that pledge, until the Senator joins the majority of the American people, the majority of the people of the world, and agrees to get our country out of this immoral war."


video from CNN.com, broadcast on January 3, 2008: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/War_protesters_arrested_at_Obama_headquarters_0103.html

[Hutzpa]

16. The more I'm reading about

them the more I'm not liking their activism, this stinks like a dead fish.

[EFerrari]

17. Kathy is a very well known and well respected activist. n/t

[bigtree]

18. yes she is

folks should visit their site and see what else they've been up to

http://vcnv.org/

[EFerrari]

20. Thank you, bigtree. I've never checked out their site before.

:)

[Scriptor Ignotus]

19. hey i saw her on cspan the other day - nt