PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Pittsburghers attend SOA Protest, one arrested
by Tom Blancato Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2002 at 3:25 PM
tblan@telerama.com 412-481-9880 528 Boggs Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15211

Pittsburghers attended the SOA rally and vigil, November 16 and 17, approx 96 arrested, stronger legal measures taken than last year.

(Apologies for a very brief article, more later I hope) I attended the SOA rally/vigil on November 18th and 19th along with others from the Western PA Coalition to Close the SOA. This will be a very short article as I'm writing from the Indy office set up at the Fort Benning site and have limited time. I was among the 96 (or so) people who were arrested for going on to the base. The SOA event I'll only mention briefly as I think there is plenty of info out there. There were about 10,000 attending. It went well, with speakers and music on the Saturday rally, a training session and specific leval advice on Saturday evening, and the vigil/procession in Sunday.

The vigil went peacefully and as planned. Those who crossed onto the base were of course arrested immediately, taken onto the base for processing and remanded to the Muscgee police department for holding at the jail and arraignment. My understanding is that the number is up slightly from last year, although the overall number arrested was higher last year due to events during the week around last year's event. About 96 were arrested at first, 3 or 4 juveniles were dismissed and there may have been one or two odd cases that might not have been arrests. In the main, those arrested were those who trespassed. This trespassing included either just walking on to the base through an opening in the gate or somehow other crossing the gate that was installed since last year.

One individual chose not to give his name and will remain in custody, though at the time I left, the understanding was that legally they still could only hold him for the maximum sentence of 6 months and a fine of 5,000 dollars, which is what most face. In at least one case, someone is facing 10,000 and a longer term (I think). Another man appears to have been taken in without having meant to break the law at all, and we were all concerned about his case. I'm trying to keep away from too many details for right now.

To hit off the crucial points that I see, it was already known that things would be a little tighter than last year in terms of security. I think the fence is new and has made crossing on to the base a little harder. The judge was tougher and gave some indications that this was somehow a new situation in some of his comments in the trial. All were charged 5,000 dollars bail (500 payable), on the idea that this was needed since the trial date was sooner than in other years. Bill Quigley, defense lawyer, suggested to the judge that this was punitive, but he didn't budge until lightening up on one man who was a university instructur who may lose tenure due to the arrest. All the arrestees I talked to found the bail situation quite wrong.

SOA Watch staffers were able to raise bail for everyone who needed it, including me. Some arrestees raised bail for others. SOA Watch was able to keep to their promise to stay until all were released, and provided continual access to support by phone from the jail, at least when phones were on. The jail was cold and unpleasant, but morale and support in the jail was very good. During the second night, protesters rallied at the jail and we could hear them from the large cell where the men slept, though I don't think the women heard them. Trail is January 27, with a pretrail hearing December 12.

Generally, it was a real lesson in what we are facing today in terms of the tightening of security. I heard there was a strong reaction from the courtroom audience and defendants when the judge suggested that things are different now. It seemed to me that one of the strongest things shown in this time around (and I am a first-timer for this event, both as protester as line-crosser) is that as we move into a new, bold conservatism fueled by anti-terrorist hysteria, we find not only our rights to dissent lawfully threatened, but even our ability, if not right, to challenge moral issues on that difficult ground beyond the letter of the law: civil disobedience.

SOA Watch can use monetary support, since they footed bail for a number of people, including me. Many who were arrested also paid bail (http://www.soaw.org)

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