I thought we had the right to petition organizations charged with our welfare. Once upon a time I guess.
This arrived this a.m. from a friend who is in D.C. for International Women’s Day Actions:
Medea Benjamin and Cindy Sheehan, who were both arrested in New York City with two other women, Missy Beattie (Gold Star Families for Peace), and Reverend Patty Ackerman, after refusing to leave the US Mission to the UN without being allowed the simple opportunity to deliver our Global Women’s Call for Peace petition. The US mission was so intimidated by a group of women with a piece of paper, that they locked the entrances to the building and called in the cops to arrest these four courageous women. The arrest was very rough and Cindy’s arm was badly pulled. The women spent the night in jail and were booked and released on Tuesday morning. Both Cindy and Medea safely arrived in DC last night in time for a large community event during which each of the Iraqi women shared their experiences in war-torn Iraq.
She also described this mornings actions,
This morning we are converging for a short breakfast before starting our day of actions for International Women’s Day. We will be creating an altar outside the Iraqi Embassy in memoriam of the lives lost in Iraq and then marching from the Iraqi Embassy to the White House where we intend to deliver our petition with over 100,000 signatures
And announced that 100,000 signatures have been reached on the Global Call for Women to say No to War!
Here is the press release about the arrests at the U.N.:
For Immediate Release: Contact: Andrea Buffa (510) 325-3653
March 4, 2006 or Ann Wright (808) 741-1141
Cindy Sheehan and Three Others Arrested While Attempting to Deliver Petition Signed by 60,000 Demanding an End to Bloodshed in Iraq
Arrests Take Place After US Mission to the UN Refused to Meet with Delegation of Women Visiting from Iraq and Gold Star Families for Peace
Today four women, including peace activist, Cindy Sheehan, were arrested at the United Nations while trying to deliver a petition with more than 60,000 signatures urging the “withdrawal all troops and all foreign fighters from Iraq.”
Arrested were: Sheehan, Gold Star Families for Peace; Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK: Women for Peace; Missy Beattie, Gold Star Families for Peace; and Rev. Patricia Ackerman.
A delegation of women from Iraq and Gold Star Families for Peace had just concluded a press conference in front of the UN calling for an end to the US occupation of Iraq. The group then marched to the US Mission to deliver a petition. The US Mission office refused to send a representative to meet with the delegation of women. The women refused to leave without delivering the signatures to someone in the US Mission’s office and were later arrested.
“I am outraged that the US Mission could not send someone down to meet with a delegation of women whose lives and families have been shattered by this destructive and immoral war,” said Ann Wright, former US Army Colonel and US diplomat. Wright was physically assaulted by security officers during the arrests.
To view full text of the petition, go to: http://www.womensaynotowar.org <http://www.womensaynotowar.org/> .
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