House Foreign Relations Committee Policy: Not to arrest Citizen protesters - requests their release

[Breeze54]

http://www.codepink4peace.org/article.php?preview=1&cache=0&id=3588">CODEPINK Members Unlawfully Arrested at Foreign Relations Committee Today

October 24th, 2007

Woman waves blood-colored hands at Secretary Rice, 4 others arrested

5 CODEPINK members arrested this morning at the House Foreign Relations Committee Hearing with Secretary Condoleezza Rice.

Those arrested, Desiree Fairooz of Arlington, TX, Liz Hourican of Phoeniz, AZ, Lori Purdue of Indianapolis, IN, Medea Benjamin of San Francisco, CA and Zool Zulkowitz of Washington, D.C.

Desiree Fairooz of Texas approached Secretary Rice with red paint on her hands to deliver the message that the Bush Administration had the blood of the Iraqis and American military on their hands. Chair Lantos ordered her out. Ms. Fairooz was escorted out by security guards yelling "war criminal." The Capitol Police then viciously yanked Liz Hourican of Arizona and Lori Purdue of Indiana from their seats, pulling Liz by her arms, legs, feet as she screamed in pain, "you are hurting me! What are you doing?" over and over. They were both dragged into the hall and promptly arrested. Medea Benjamin remained in the hearing room and was asked to leave after flashing a peace sign with her fingers. She collected her belongings, left and was walking down the hall when 2 Capitol Police approached her and cuffed her. Zool Zulkowitz was with arrested with Ms. Benjamin.

The Deputy Chief of Staff of the House Foreign Relations Committee contacted the Capitol Police later in the day to again relay that their is a policy of that committee to not arrest Citizen protesters but to instead escort them out of the room. The Deputy asked for the CODEPINK members to be released promptly from custody.

CODEPINK Women Arrested In Congressional Hearing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgkuYJnYP4U

1 min. 16 secs.

[PDJane]

1. Let me know when the US is willing to admit

to being a police state. Sure feels like it to me.

[Breeze54]

2. Be 'vewwy' careful, wabbit; saying the words "police state"

here! Shhhh!! It doesn't exist in the USA, dontcha know??

And Medea Benjamin getting arrested for giving the peace sign is not a sign either! :sarcasm:

[malaise]

3. Good to see some committee defending citizens' rights

to protest without being arrested.

[Breeze54]

4. To bad the Capital Police had to be told TWICE that

they were acting against the House Foreign Relations Committee policy of no arrests for protesters!

[Ghost in the Machine]

5. K&R!

We, The People should be allowed to protest any time we want to, for no other reason than BECAUSE we want to. It's OUR fucking government. "They" work for us, supposedly.

[Breeze54]

6. "They" work for us???

Supposedly, is right!! Could have fooled me!

Thanks.


:grr:

Update from Code Pink is in the political Video's forum
on the Medea Arrested for giving peace sign thread.

[Breeze54]

7. Message from Code Pink House DC

Posted in the thread Woman confronts Condi Rice with 'blood' on her hands in Breaking News

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

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3041565&mesg_id=3042216

karendc

Donating Member (211 posts)

Wed Oct-24-07 08:44 PM

Response to Original message

PEOPLE listen

We are losing this country. I am at the Code Pink house in DC, where Lori has been released and the others are being held overnight. Des is going to be charged with assaulting a federal officer, a VERY SERIOUS offense. Liz was taken to the hospital--she is hurt.

I have four Canadian students staying at my house because their car is still being held and all of their papers and possessions are in the car--they cannot leave and the police are being quite horrible about it. The police made a mistake, mis-identified the vehicle, and seized it.

These kids are getting an eye and earful about what passes for freedom and democracy in the US.

We hear stories every week about criminal activities of our leaders. It is OVERWHELMING.

We in DC need you ALL to call into Congress and demand that they LISTEN. THEY SUPPOSEDLY WORK FOR US--on behalf of democracy and the Constitution. REMIND THEM.

"Democracy is not something you believe in or a place to hang your hat, but it's something you do. You participate." Abbie Hoffman

[Breeze54]

8. kick

[PDJane]

9. Thank you for posting this.............

I'm sorry for the troubles that code pink have had to endure for peaceful protest....and I wonder what those Canadian students are thinking about now.

[Zodiak]

10. ...probably getting the hell out of this nutty country.

Much like anyone who ran afoul with the law in Mexico felt twenty years ago.

We've descended very far since Whistle-ass took office. Hell, even before then.

[webmatters]

11. Orchestrated

Again, this proves the whole thing was orchestrated by some members of the committee.

And as far as arrests, never mind the policy of the commitee or its members - it comes down to the judgement of the arresting officers.

[Breeze54]

12. No, the deputy told them TWICE what the committee's policy was!

He called them and told the Capitol police to release them.

[blogslut]

13. Oh, do tell

Members of the House Foreign Relations Committee orchestrated this protest? Golly, which party do you think those crafty orchestrators were from? Did George Soros pay them?