Fighting the Pentagon

Northwest Protesters Sortie to DC and SOA

by John Reese, Free Press contributor

n October 19, 700 protesters gathered at the Pentagon for the War Resisters League "Day Without the Pentagon," a national action calling for an end to militarization of our culture, major cuts in the post Cold War military budget, and funding of human needs instead of the Pentagon. Over 100 local and national organizations endorsed and participated in the march and rally at the Pentagon, including seven members from the Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia (NACC). This was the first national march that focused on the Pentagon in over a decade.

The bus left Seattle on October 9th after a send-off rally at the Seattle Central Community College, attracting attention and favorable press coverage as it went through Portland, Boise, Salt Lake City, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Kansas City, St Louis, South Bend, Kent, Annapolis, and Washington, DC.

At the Pentagon, an early morning action started the day's events. 21 people were carried away by Metro Police for allegedly trying to block Defense Department workers from entering the building at the Metro station. They were released in about two hours and were later able to attend the rally at the Pentagon.

The rally began at 11 AM with speakers and music at the river side of the Pentagon. Some of the speakers were Dave Dellinger, Daniel Ellsberg and Pam Africa. C-span covered the entire rally as well as many other media sources.

With over 300 police surrounding the Pentagon, the task of shutting it down proved to be impossible. Nevertheless, about ten affinity groups were dedicated to doing their best to have a Day Without the Pentagon. At 1:50 PM about 200 people moved south toward a five-foot retaining wall 100 feet from the river entrance. About 50 police took up position in a line between the protestors and the Pentagon. The idea, worked out during the day, was that two affinity groups would attempt to get to the Pentagon by stairs on each side of the retaining wall. A third affinity group would attempt to go over the wall.

At 2 PM protesters attempted to walk toward the Pentagon, but were pushed back by the police or were half carried, half dragged down the steps to the other side of the wall. The preferred tactic of the police was not to arrest us, but after half a dozen attempts by nine persistent protesters, they were finally arrested. Arrests make news and Pentagon officials wanted to make this as much a non-news event as possible. Nine more protestors were arrested for blocking an access road to the building. All were released; several days later, they found out that no charges would be filed.

A total of 36 were arrested during the day long event -- 21 were taken into custody early in the day at the Metrostation; the remaining 15 were arrested on charges that they tried to block two other entrances to the Pentagon. About 100 had committed themselves to risking arrest. Many others attempted to block the different entrances to the building, but were carried or pushed out of the way even after repeated attempts to shut the Pentagon down.

Although the dirty business of the Pentagon continued, the cross-country trip and demonstration slammed the absurdity of the bloated military budget, a budget which, in the name of Defense, weakens this country by robbing $1.7 billion a day from human needs such as health care, education, the environment, housing, and jobs.

School of Assassins

On Sunday November 22, 7000 people gathered at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia. SOA trains soldiers from Central and South American countries in counter-insurgency and low-intensity warfare and its graduates have committed numerous atrocities since it was established 50 years ago in Panama. The list of crimes committed by SOA alumni includes murder, rape, torture, kidnapping and drug-running. SOA graduates were involved in the assassination of Archbishop Romero of El Salvador and the massacre of 45 women, children and men at Acteal in Chiapas, Mexico. In 1984, it was moved to the base at Ft. Benning. More than 60,000 soldiers from Latin America have been trained in psychological warfare and torture techniques as part of the program, which the military claims "promotes democracy" in the region.

Demonstrations have been held at the SOA since the Nov. 16, 1989, murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her 15-year-old daughter in El Salvador. A group of Salvadoran soldiers, including 19 graduates of the SOA, were charged with the brutal killings. It was one of many atrocities committed during the U.S.-backed war against the poor of that country, in which tens of thousands were killed.

The crowd ranged in age from toddlers to a 93 year-old protester; many were parents with small children. Colleges competing to have the most students at the protest -- Warren Wilson won with 80 students, but many other colleges from across the nation had almost as many. Almost every state was represented among the crowd.

Over 2300 risked arrest and for many this was the first time. Demonstrators carried coffins and crosses inscribed with the names of those killed by graduates of the "School of the Assassins". Dozens of people in wheelchairs also participated in the direct action and 75 of those crossing the line were risking 6 months in jail and a $5000 fine because they had crossed the line before. But the numbers were too much for Fort Benning to handle and all 2300 plus were eventually released. It took 27 buses two trips to take the protesters to a park in Columbus, GA, 1.2 miles from the gate where they crossed into Ft Benning. After being detained for several hours, protesters were given a 24-hour ejection letter, but names were not taken, no one was booked and all were released, including the second-time offenders.

On the return hike to Columbus, police stopped traffic until all the protesters crossed streets, blocking traffic for 15 minutes or more. Everyone returned to the rally site at the main gate of Ft Benning for a raucous welcome from the crowd. By this time the gate had been completely blocked and all traffic through the gate was stopped. Organizers hope that next year the numbers will increase and there is talk of some added tactics to make next years event even more exciting. There will also be more protests around SOA in Washington, DC, May 1st to May 4th, when a series of activities will be held at the White House, Pentagon and Congress.

John Reese is a member of NACC. Find out more on Tues, Jan 19, 6:30-9:30 at the University Baptist Church, 12th Ave. NE & NE 47th, as NACC activists report on the trip and show a rare video.