Call out for support!!!!!

Among those arrested by Columbus, GA police
were three activists from Chicago ─
Charity Ryerson (Loyola Graduate), Ann Marie Barrett (Loyola Student)
and Ken Crowley (Witness for Peace). Also arrested were three journalists,
including a news crew from Russia Today and unrelated bystanders.

All face extraordinarily steep bail demands and as a result, only a few have been released.

Yesterday amidst a heightened police presence around the gates of Ft. Benning, GA, thousands heeded the call of "We are One America!" and manifested their opposition to the School of the Americas and oppressive U.S. foreign policy.

After an uplifting day of speakers and cultural showcases, groups and individuals followed the Puppetistas towards the corner of Victory Drive and Ft. Benning Road, where several activists had temporarily blocked the street that is leading towards the highway entrance of Fort Benning, Georgia.

At a police blockade at the corner of Torch Hill Road and Ft. Benning Road, police indiscriminately arrested some people with very little or no warning, starting with a person of color who had dreadlocks, impeding the Puppetistas and activists from proceeding further. The arrests included four members of the Russia Today news agency who were filming the arrests. A half-hour after people dispersed, police singled out SOAW organizer Charity Ryerson (Loyola Chicago Graduate) from a small group headed to their cars and arrested her. Erin Cox of 8th Day Center for Justice witnessed police arresting people who merely asked if they could walk to their cars. Police officers were chasing people through the parking lot and were particularly targeting people who were taking photos of video (for video footage see www.soaw.org/news).

SOA Watch has a long history of nonviolent civil disobedience that continues to bring the life and death of the people of Latin America to the site of the historic U.S. tool of violent militarism, the School of the Americas.

As a community of resistance, we need to take care of our prisoners. The conditions in Muscogee County jail are deplorable and we need funds to pay the bond money, which has been set as high as $5,500. Several people engaged in nonviolent direct action and blocked the road to the Highway entrance to Fort Benning, others were arrested by the Columbus police as they were leaving the vigil area on the sidewalk. Several journalists and bystanders were swept up in the arrests as well.

PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO THE LEGAL DEFENSE FUND:
You can donate online (secure network) at www.Soaw.org

For more information, or to watch video footage of the protest please see: www.soaw.org/news

Thanks!

School of the Americas Watch