Nonviolent Resistance Acts

Chicago - March 20, 2008

March 20, 2008

Chicago - at 8:30am members of Christian Peacemaker Teams and Wellington Avenue UCC Gerald Paoli, John Volkening, Rev. Dan Dale and Sarah Shirk chained themselves to the entrance of U.S. Congressman Rahm Emanuel’s office at 3742 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago demanding that he “unchain us from this unjust and immoral war.” CPD arrived shortly after with no less than 10 squad cars and a wagon obstructing the busy street traffic for more than a half hour until a bolt cutter could be delivered to remove the 4 demonstrators.

January 11th 2008 Witness Against Torture - Chicago

CHICAGO – January 11 2008— 10 arrests were made at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago.

A Citizens’ Indictment was delivered to Chief Judge Holderman seeking relief for violations of international and domestic law by the United States and the City of Chicago. Specifically, the Indictment cited the use of torture by the United States in the so-called “global war on terror” and by the City of Chicago Police Department for its systematic practice of torture between 1971 and 1993, and on-going abuse of individuals. 2

January 12, 2008

On January 11, 2008, this Citizens’ Indictment was delivered by hand to Chief Judge Holderman in the U.S. Federal court in Chicago and to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in Chicago. It was mailed to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

Following this hand delivery, the Citizens’ Indictment was read aloud in the lobby of the federal courthouse in Chicago. Participants dressed in orange jumpsuits and identified themselves as acting in behalf of those subject to torture and abuse at the hands of the United States and the City of Chicago. The ten people who signed this Indictment were arrested in the lobby of the federal courthouse—nine on a federal charge of failure to conform with directions and one on a state charge of trespass after he declined to walk when placed under arrest.

Download the Citizens’ Indictment in PDF form

For more information and links to other articles about the December 31 SODaPOP action see the Des Moines Catholic Worker page

By David Pitt
Associated Press Staff Writer
CBS News story
December 31,2007

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 31, 2007(AP) Three protesters seeking a commitment from Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee to end the Iraq war were arrested Monday for refusing to leave his office.

Police arrested Mona Shaw, 56, of Iowa City; Robert Braam, 51, Manhattan, Ill.; and Kathy Kelly, 55, of Chicago, around 1:20 p.m., Shaw said. They were charged with criminal trespass.

October 13, 2007

On September 21st twelve courageous Iowa young people occupied the office of Senator Charles Grassley demanding that he take a strong stand to end the U.S. war in Iraq and to bring the troops home as soon as possible. To stop funding this illegal and immoral war being wages in our name. They called for all young people to stand for Peace!

More videos by soundslikesouth1

Voices for Creative Nonviolence (Co-Coordinator)
October 2, 2007

The Bonhoeffer Moment of nonviolent civil resistance and disobedience to the world war being waged by the United States is clearly at hand. As Congress considers an additional $190 billion to fund the Iraq – Afghanistan war through September 2008 and as the threats of war against Iran become increasingly loud, it is time for us to learn lessons from the German resistance to Hitler, to the Nazi regime and to the war waged by the German nation-state. We must engage in the Long Resistance to this current world war, using every nonviolent means to bring about its end.

I was set to be tried on October 2 for an act of nonviolent civil resistance at the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command. The judge dismissed the charge the day of the trial. Following is the closing statement I prepared for the jury trial in Waukegan, Illinois.

October 2, 2007

WAUKEGAN —A judge in the 19th Circuit Court of Illinois today dismissed trespassing charges against an antiwar activist stemming from a civil disobedience demonstration last year at the nation’s command center for processing military recruits.

Before jurors were even picked in the trial of Jeff Leys, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, the Illinois State Attorney in the case moved for dismissal of the charge. Referring to yesterday’s bench trial before Judge Patrick Lawler which resulted in the acquittal of a reporter arrested at the July, 2006 demonstration with Leys, as well as the absence of the police officer who was the state’s key witness yesterday and presumably would have been today, the prosecutor moved the charge be dismissed. Judge Lawler granted the motion and Leys, prepared to represent himself “pro se,” walked out moments later.

By Jeff Leys, Voices for Creative Nonviolence
July 5, 2006

On July 5, three of us entered the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command (MEPCOM) to nonviolently resist the war in and occupation of Iraq. We sought to read the names of U.S. soldiers and Iraq citizens who have died in the war. Immediately upon entering MEPCOM’s property, we were met by base security. We began to read the names of the dead and were quickly arrested. Charged with trespass and facing up to six months in prison, our first court appearance is scheduled for July 20th.