Catholic Workers Take NVDA in DC on Hiroshima Day

by NR Sat Aug 11, 2007 03:09

Fr. Louie Vitale, a Franciscan priest, is an Action Advocate for Pace
e Bene, co-founder of the Nevada Desert Experience and SOA Watch
Prisoner of Conscience.

Fr. Steve Kelly, a Jesuit priest, has served time in prison for his
participation in several Plowshares direct disarmament actions. In
December, 2005, he served as chaplain for Witness to Torture, a
delegation which marched through Cuba to the gates of the prison at
Guantanamo Bay.

Bill Quigley is a law professor and Director of the Law Clinic and
the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center at Loyola University, New Orleans.
He's been an active public interest lawyer since 1977, volunteering
with School of the Americas Watch, the Institute for Justice and
Democracy in Haiti and many other groups.

PRE-TRIAL MOTIONS HEARING

At 9 a.m. on August 13 (and possibly 14), Fr. Louie Vitale and Fr.
Steve Kelly, represented by Bill Quigley, will have a pre-trial
motions hearing in federal court in Tucson on charges of trespass and
failure to obey an officer's orders for their nonviolent witness on
Nov. 19, 2006 at Fort Huachuca. They attempted to give a letter to
the post commander of Fort Huachuca because of the leading role that
the Fort has played in the development of the manuals advocating
torture used at the SOA and current interrogation techniques being
used by the Army.

On August 13, there will be a support circle in the courtyard outside
the federal courthouse, 405 W. Congress, at 8 a.m. An email will be
sent out the evening of August 13 to let supporters know whether the
hearing will be continued the following day. To be added to the
email list, send your email address to
torture.training.on.trial@gmail.com

Please be aware that everyone must go through security upon entering
the courthouse. You will not be permitted to bring things like
cameras and swiss army knives into the building. You will also need
to show a photo ID.

Please regularly check http://tortureontrial.org/ for details,
updated information about the case and related events, or call
520-323-8697.

by Frank Sat Aug 11, 2007 06:00

On Monday, August 6, approximately 40 people gathered at the
headquarters of Alliant Techsystems, Inc. (ATK) in Edina, MN to
prayerfully commemorate all who died in the bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki 62 years ago, and those who have suffered the effects of
Depleted Uranium (DU) poisoning in recent years.

ATK is the world's largest producer of DU weapons. The United States
has used DU weapons in former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Health effects linked to DU's radioactive particles include increased
instances of cancers, leukemia, birth defects, miscarriages, and
infant mortality among civilians and soldiers alike. In addition, ATK
produces motors for launching Trident II and Minuteman III nuclear
missiles.

Vigil participants representing Christian Peacemaker Teams,
AlliantACTION, and other Minnesota peace groups, dressed in black and
carried white roses to represent healing and remembrance for those who
have suffered from nuclear weapons and DU. Instead of missiles and
bombs raining down destruction and horror, participants prayed for a
new day- for the raining down of love on all God's people.

CPT training participant, Jean Fallon, a Maryknoll Sister who lived
in Japan for 50 years, spoke of the horror of the atomic bomb on the
people who survived the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings: "There was
residual radiation after the bomb exploded and it was very potent.
First the people would get leukemia and thyroid cancer, and other
cancers would follow. Depleted Uranium works in the same way.
Particles are taken in by the body and they go off at different times.
Many of the children get leukemia right away. They have the same kind
of birth defect- bone cancer."

Holding signs that said "Hiroshima: Never Again," vigilers passed
white roses to others bearing signs representing victims of DU- Iraqi
civilians, Soldiers, Children, Afghanistan, etc. As the crowd sang out
the words, "None can stop the Spirit, burning now inside us. We will
shape the future. We will not be silent," eight participants carried
their white roses towards the front door of ATK, hoping to deliver
their message of peace to executives inside. When stopped by several
ATK employees and Edina police, the eight attempted to engage in
dialogue and negotiate entrance to the building. Police warned the
group to leave or they would be arrested. The eight then knelt down in
prayer. Each person received a citation for trespassing which carries
a $142 fine.

Arrested were Tarek Abuata (Bethesda, MD), Sally Ann Brickner (Green
Bay, WI), Kryss Chupp (Chicago, IL), Steve Clemens (Minneapolis, MN),
Delycia Fuestel (Lebanon, NH), Cliff Kindy (N. Manchester, IN), Martin
Smedjeback (Sundbyberg, Sweden), and Colin Stuart (Ottawa, ON).

The action was planned by CPT in solidarity with AlliantACTION.

MAGES from the ACTION:

Contact Christian Peacemaker Teams at kryss@cpt.org

by chrissie Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:23

Fair play to ye all; Christians shld never be too respectable to challenge murder & torture. God bless yr work.

by Marc Ash Tue Aug 14, 2007 08:43

Video | Marc Ash Interviews Father Louis Vitale
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081307J.shtml

Truthout's Executive Director Marc Ash sat down with Father Louis
Vitale, a Franciscan priest who has been active in the anti-war
movement for decades. Father Vitale, an Air Force veteran, was
arrested at Fort Huachuca in Arizona protesting the training of
interrogators, who he believes are involved in torture.

by NR Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:39

At a pretrial hearing Monday in federal court in Tucson,
Arizona, the attorney for two Catholic priests arrested last November
outlined why their opposition to torture brought them to Ft.
Huachuca, the U.S. Army's military intelligence and interrogation
training center in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Franciscan Fr. Louis Vitale and Jesuit Fr. Stephen Kelly are
charged with federal trespass and an Arizona state charge of failure
to comply with a police officer. Loyola University law professor
William Quigley argued for dismissal of the charges and against the
prosecution motion in limine to prohibit certain testimony at trial.
He cited one official government report after another, plus a study
by the International Red Cross, each describing in detail the torture
suffered by military detainees since 9/11 at the hand of military
intelligence personnel and others. The connection to Ft. Huachuca
was personified in Major General Barbara Fast, the head of military
intelligence in Iraq at the time the most egregious abuses were first
documented, and Commander at Ft. Huachuca when the two priests were
arrested for trying to deliver a letter to her denouncing torture and
the Military Commissions Act of 2006. (Many of the elements of
Quigley's courtroom argument can be read in his "Memorandum in
Support of Motion to Dismiss Prosecution of Non-Violent First
Amendment Protest Against Illegal Torture" at
http://tortureontrial.org/art/MemoSupportDismiss.pdf )
Army Judge Advocate General Capt. Evan Seamone, representing
the government, told the court that his witnesses would testify that
military interrogators are trained at the base to operate strictly in
accord with the Geneva Conventions and U.S. law, and are prohibited
from using torture. The hundreds of abused prisoners documented in
the reports cited by Quigley were the result of aberrant behavior by
a few criminals in uniform, or by the CIA or persons other than
military intelligence, he asserted.
In the course of the hearing, Magistrate Hector Estrada also
chastised Fr. Vitale for possibly violating a pretrial order not to
break local, state or federal laws, having been cited just a few days
earlier during a Nagasaki Day line-crossing at the Nevada nuclear
weapons test site. Vitale's fitness for release on his own
recognizance was ordered to be reevaluated by the court's pretrial
services and that report will be sent to the judge later this week.
The day-long hearing concluded with Magistrate Estrada taking
all of the pretrial motions under advisement. He is expected to
decide the issues by the end of the month and then set a date for
trial.
For more information, visit http://TortureOnTrial.org
- 30 -

A fuller account of the August 13 pretrial hearing including photos
taken at a support circle outside court that morning can be found at
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
The report of the only mainstream media journalist attending the
hearing is at
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2007/08/14/news/doc46c...069.t
xt
A June interview with Fr. Louis Vitale can be viewed at
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081307J.shtml

by weiss Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:10

It is time that church leaders of all denominations spoke out and stated that one cannot be a christian
or a member of a christian church while at the same time helping to manufacture weapons of mass destruction - no buts or excuses.

Helping to kill and maim your fellow man should becomes grounds for automatic excommunication
from any church which calls itself 'Christian'. People are automaticaly excommunicated for less serious
matters.

Our church leaders have been silent on this matter for too long.
Is it perhaps that they believe that the production of nuclear and other WMDs. is a necessary evil?

by Solidarity Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:31

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0813/p20s01-usmi.html

by Frank Cordaro - Des Moines Catholic Worker Thu Aug 23, 2007 07:31 USA

Click www.csaction.org for full review of Co Springs St Pat's
Parade arrest -- a Mark Lewis Production. )

Folks;
I am heading out to Co Springs for my trial with six other peace
marchers, who were arrested last March 17th in the Co Springs St
Patrick's Day Parade. The trial starts on Thursday Age 23. (See below
news story.)

Bullish on parade
Hopeful defendants plan to talk free speech, but not excessive force,
in court next week
by J. Adrian Stanley

The arrests of seven antiwar marchers at this year's Colorado Springs
St. Patrick's Day parade were full of drama, marked by accusations of
police brutality and infringement on free speech.

The single charge facing each of those marchers is less spectacular.

On Aug. 23 and 24, the "St. Paddy's Day Seven" will head to municipal
court to defend themselves against the charge of obstructing passage
or assembly, meaning that they tried to interfere with the parade.

Greg Walta, attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union defending
the marchers, says he won't bring up accusations that the police used
excessive force when making the arrests including claims that officers
used "chokeholds," twisted arms and went too far in dragging
65-year-old Elizabeth Fineron across the pavement. But he will bring
up freedom of speech.

"Certainly because the case comes up in the context of an exercise of
free speech, the city is going to have to carry a heavier burden to
show guilt than they would be if people were just milling around,"
Walta says.

The antiwar marchers took part in the parade the previous year without
incident, and had a permit to march in the 2007 parade, though parade
chairman John O'Donnell has questioned that permit's validity. He says
the marchers violated written rules against addressing "social issues"
in the parade, and weren't honest about their message when they
applied for the permit.

But Walta questions whether O'Donnell could reasonably revoke that
permit mid-parade and ask police to remove the marchers.

Even if the permit is considered to be invalid, the prosecution will
still need to prove that the marchers intended to disrupt the parade,
according to Walta.

Bill Durland, one of the arrested marchers, says the group did not set
out to interfere with the parade, adding that they would have kept
moving if police had allowed them to do so.

The protesters also maintain that despite the skirmish, the parade was
not interrupted. The defense plans to use video and photos at trial to
prove just that.

Mark Lewis, a supporter of the St. Paddy's Day Seven who was at the
parade but was not arrested, has been collecting photos and video of
the incident for the trial.

He says he already has a good presentation, but thinks he will be
helped even more by footage held by the prosecution, which has to be
shared with the defense.

"I expect them to drop the charges before the trial starts," Lewis
says.

The protesters aren't discussing their strategy, though some might
file civil lawsuits later. Durland said he does not plan to sue.

City Councilman Jerry Heimlicher says protesters, police and parade
organizers share the blame for the incident, but he doesn't see the
need for legal action. Heimlicher says he wishes the three parties
would agree to discuss the matter and brainstorm ways to avoid clashes
in the future.

"To me, it's nonproductive to have these trials go on and rehash these
things again," Heimlicher says.

Heimlicher also believes that City Council should re-evaluate some of
its decision-making. He won't be involved in the trial, but he doesn't
think it's constitutionally correct to restrict peaceful free speech
on public streets, even if a private party has a permit to use those
streets.

by Frank Cordaro Sun Aug 26, 2007 00:42

Folks;

Good news from Co Springs!

After a two day trial, the jury deliberation in the St Patrick's Day
Parade 7 trial ended in a hung jury. (See Gazette story below.) A
hung jury means the six jury members could not agree on a verdict. The
city of Co Springs is free to retry the seven of us if they wish. At
this time it is unclear what the city will do.

Though we defendants would have preferred a not guilty verdict, a hung
jury is much better than a guilty verdict. The fact that there was a
division within the six person jury panel speaks volumes about how
divided Co Springs is regarding the issues of peace and the war in
Iraq. It was amazing to me that several members of our jury were
willing to buck the militaristic nationalistic 'pro war' culture of Co
Springs, put aside their cultural biases and see the facts of our case
with out prejudice and not be persuaded to change their minds by their
fellow jurors.

Tomorrow I head back to Des Moines.

Peace Out
Frank Cordaro

---------------------------------

Mistrial in St. Patrick's Day protest
By R. SCOTT RAPPOLD
THE Colorado Springs GAZETTE
August 24, 2007 - 7:13PM

http://www.gazette.com/articles/parade_26449___article.....html

A judge declared a mistrial because of a hung jury Friday in the case
of seven anti-war activists arrested during the St. Patrick's Day
parade in Colorado Springs in March.

It was an incident that divided many in the community, and the
six-member jury proved just as divided. After two days of testimony
and two hours and 15 minutes of deliberations, they told Municipal
Court Judge Robert Warren they were at an impasse.

The city attorney's office could still retry the seven, but prosecutor
Scott Patlin said no decision has been made.

The activists, who each face misdemeanor counts of obstructing a
passage or assembly which carry $500 fines and 90 days in jail, hailed
the mistrial as a victory.

Though the activists did not carry banners and signs during the trial,
after the mistrial was declared, they pulled them out on the steps of
the municipal courthouse.

"There are people in this city who are standing up and saying, 'We're
not going to let the status quo remain anymore,'" said Elizabeth
Fineron, who received a large road-rash welt when police dragged her
from the parade March 17. "They may not be out here with banners, but
they're behind us."

Eric Verlo had registered to participate in the parade under his
business, The Bookman. But when parade officials saw them marching
with anti-war banners, they told them to stop and asked police to
remove them.

During the trial, the protesters' attorney argued they weren't trying
to block the parade, but were confused and trying to understand why
they were being removed.

Parade organizer John O'Donnell testified Thursday he was concerned
for safety, that their message against the war in Iraq might result in
retaliation. He also said parade policy prohibits "social issues."

Court testimony also revealed that, despite his claim in a letter to
The Gazette that 45 protesters jumped out of the crowd and joined the
group once they started moving, nobody saw that occur.

Colorado Springs police Sgt. Robert Weber, who coordinates special
events for the city, testified Friday that he was not initially told
by parade officials the group had a permit.

"What (O'Donnell) had told me was this group did not have a permit to
be in the parade, and even if they did, he was revoking it because
they had violated their contract by bringing a controversial social
issue into the parade," Weber said.

The jurors -- four women and two men -- did not give a reason for the
impasse, and some declined to be interviewed leaving the courthouse.
All but one or two on the panel, the foreman told the judge, were
"fixed" in their opinions, and further deliberations would solve
nothing.

A meeting has been set for Oct. 2 between attorneys and the judge to
see if the case will be retried, said Greg Walta, attorney for the
protesters.

"The city is going to have to decide if they want this bad publicity
to continue," Walta said.

He said the case never should have been brought to trial.

"They were afraid someone would throw a beer bottle at them. In most
places, if someone throws a beer bottle at a peace marcher, they
arrest the thrower," Walta said. "Here, if you're afraid someone will
throw a beer bottle at a marcher, we arrest the peace marcher. That is
not how America is supposed to work."

Said Verlo, "They were foolish to do it the first time, they'd be
foolish to do it second time."

The activists said, if allowed, they will take part in the St.
Patrick's Day parade next year.

by Frank Thu Aug 30, 2007 18:05

http://www.csindy.com/csindy/2007-08-30/news2.html

by Update Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:27

http://www.jonahhouse.org/HuachuacaLimine.htm

by Jack & Felice Sat Sep 15, 2007 07:01

Dear friends,

We learned today that a trial date for Fr. Louie Vitale and Fr. Steve
Kelly has been set for Wednesday, October 17 at 8:30 a.m. There
will be a support circle in the courtyard outside the federal
courthouse, 405 W. Congress, at 7:30 a.m. There will also be a
gathering/program in Tucson Tuesday evening, October 16, the night
before the trial. Updates will be emailed as plans develop. You can
also check http://tortureontrial.org/index.html occasionally.

In addition, Fr. Vitale is ordered to appear in court on Friday,
September 21, at 11:30 a.m. for a hearing on his conditions of
pretrial release. The request to re-schedule the date for this
hearing was denied by the court. Supporters can meet in front of the
courthouse at 11:00 a.m. to go into court together.

Peace,
Felice and Jack

by Jonah Sat Sep 22, 2007 13:35

http://www.jonahhouse.org/Rivers.htm

by Jack Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:19

COURT FURTHER RESTRICTS PRETRIAL RELEASE OF TORTURE PROTEST DEFENDANT;
"NO CONTEST" PLEAS CONSIDERED

Fr. Louis Vitale, one of two Roman Catholic priests arrested
at Fort Huachuca, Arizona while protesting torture last November,
appeared in U.S. District Court in Tucson, Arizona for a pretrial
release hearing. At the September 21 hearing, Magistrate Estrada
restated his earlier order that defendants Fr. Vitale and Fr. Stephen
Kelly not break any federal, state or local laws before their trial,
which he originally gave when the pair had refused to sign onto the
conditions of release at their April arraignment.

Estrada criticized Fr. Vitale's participation in and
resulting citation for an August 9 line crossing at the Nevada
Nuclear Test Site, noting that if Vitale were imprisoned elsewhere or
facing new charges when this pending trial begins, it would greatly
complicate his case and inconvenience both attorneys, possible
witnesses, and the court. Estrada also expressed his interest in
keeping pretrial defendants out of jail and more readily available to
meet with their attorney to prepare their defense.

Bill Quigley, attorney for Fr. Vitale, told the court that
because Fr. Vitale's sister is in grave health in California, and
Vitale has committed to be with her during the next few weeks before
his October 17 trial, the priest would agree not to be arrested at a
federal military or nuclear installation during that time, to
restrict his travel to California and Arizona unless the court agrees
otherwise, and to report any law enforcement contact immediately. The
court then imposed these further restrictions, which were signed by
Fr. Vitale.

Because the court had granted the prosecution motion in
limine earlier in September, effectively gutting their defense,
Quigley then told the court that on October 17 both priests are
willing to consider a change of plea from "not guilty" to "nolo
contendere" (no contest), with the desire that verdict and sentencing
would proceed immediately. However, military prosecutor Capt. Evan
Seamone told the court that it is a complicated matter, and that
federal procedure states he "may not consent to a plea of nolo
contendere except in the most unusual circumstances" and with the
approval of a senior Justice Department official. Consultation with
defense attorney Quigley had still not identified such circumstances,
Seamone told the court.

Magistrate Estrada encouraged both sides to continue pursuing
the question, and offered his assistance if necessary to help
expedite matters before the scheduled trial.

Trial for Frs. Vitale and Kelly is scheduled to begin at 8:30
a.m. October 17 before Magistrate Estrada in Courtroom 3A of the
Federal Courthouse at 405 W. Congress St., Tucson.

For more information, visit http://TortureOnTrial.org

by Frank Sun Sep 23, 2007 11:05 Des Moines, Iowa, USA

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/22/new...6.txt

by M14 Tue Sep 25, 2007 18:30

http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/Milwaukee14Today/Ho...ePage

by C9 Wed Sep 26, 2007 19:54

1968, 9 Catholic anti-war activists raided a draftboard in Catonsville, Maryland, USA destroying draft cards in nonviolent resistance to the Vietnam War. Daniel Berrigan, his brother Philip and six others were sentenced to prison. Christian Brother David Darst died before sentencing. Daniel Berrigan wrote a play based on the trial later turned into a film by Gregory Peck. Hollywood stars, including Tim Robins & Martin Sheen, gathered recently to do a reading of the play in opposition to America's present wars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp2jI465C0g