November 19, 2005
14 social justice activists were arrested on Friday, November 18 aftering entering the property of Aero Contractors near Smithfield, N.C. They sought to deliver an indictment to Aero regarding its violation of international law. Aero Contractors has provided planes and pilots for the C.I.A.’s program of “extraordinary rendition”—a program which flies terror suspects to locations at which they will likely be tortured.
Kathy Kelly, co-founder of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, was one of those arrested and charged with trespassing. Others arrested include 8 social justice activists from in and around Johnston County, NC in which the action occured and 5 are from Stop Torture Now and the Center for Theology and Social Justice Analysis in St. Louis. All were released Saturday on $500 bond.
14 held after airport protest (Local News Coverage from the Raleigh News & Observer)
C.I.A. Expanding Terror Battle Under Guise of Charter Flights (New York Times, May 31, 2005)
Indictment Issued Against Aero Contractors
Stop Torture Now, organizers of the action
