Today, Monday, April 16, 2007, Marine Mom Tina Richards was arrested at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. She was seeking to deliver a letter on behalf of a “Women’s Delegation for Peace” (see letter below with bios of the delegation members).
VIDEO OF THE ARREST AVAILABLE FROM WHYNOTNews.org. The video is on YouTube search “Tina Richards Arrested” or visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9XTl1Nou8g
The event was organized by Code Pink to welcome Congress back and urge an end to the war. Also participating were members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, Vets for Peace, Voters For Peace, Iraqi Voices for Peace, Democracy Rising, Washington Peace Center, Grassroots America (Tina Richard’s educational organization) and other organizations and individuals.
The arrest occurred in the hallway outside of the Speaker’s office as the delegation was protesting the media being forced to leave the Speaker’s office. Advocates reacted by reading the First Amendment of the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law abridging the Freedom of the Press,” and were shouting that phrase as well as urging an end to the war.
As she was being arrested Tina Richards said: “The Democrats should not buy Bush’s war. They should fulfill the mandate the voters gave them in November 2006 to end the war and not extend it. Bring our troops home now.”
Her fellow anti-war advocates urged the police not to arrest the Marine mom, whose son, Cloy has served two tours of duty in Iraq and has been found by the VA to be 80% disabled. They described the arrest as “un-American” and urged the police to not arrest someone who was merely speaking out against the war within her rights under the Constitution.
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April 16, 2007
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