Anti-War Vigil *GPO Monday 4pm-6pm

by Sentenced Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:33 Norfolk, Viriginia, USA

Photos of Steve Baggarly's action on B52 Bomber at U.S. Air Force Air Show that led to his arrest
http://www.photo.jonahhouse.org/slc/

On Monday, Nov. 3, at the US District Court in Norfolk, Va, USA Catholic
Worker Steve Baggarly was put on trial for trespassing at Oceana Naval
Air Station in Virginia Beach. Baggarly, Kristin Sadler, also of the
Norfolk Catholic Worker, Beth Brockman of Durham, NC, and Susan Crane
of Jonah House in Baltimore, had climbed on top of the B-52 on display
at the annual air show with anti-war banners which read, "We Shalt Not
Kill", and "Weapons of Mass Destruction are nothing to
celebrate". The three women and 8 other observers were arrested and given letters
barring them from going onto any Naval installation from Maine to
Virginia. Baggarly violated a previous letter and was charged with
trespassing.

After an hour long vigil outside the courthouse against the US wars
in the Middle East and the key role played by US warplanes which by
nature kill indiscriminately, 2 dozen friends went inside to
Magistrate Tommy Miller's courtroom. Baggarly pled not guilty. The
prosecution put the arresting officer on the stand who described the
action on the plane and the arrest. Baggarly then took the stand and
began to relate the story of an Afghan village bombed by B-52's during
the US invasion, claiming that the testimony of people under the bombs
in Afghanistan and Iraq is the testimony most relevant why he came to
be on top of the B-52. Miller disagreed, wanting to hear only whether
Baggarly violated his previous banning order by returning to the base.
Baggarly stopped further testimony. He was convicted of trespassing.
Before sentencing, Miller gave Baggarly 5 minutes to make a statement.
Miller then gave Baggarly a the one day sentence requested by the
prosecution, and two years of limited supervision.

Newspaper report from Virginia
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/11/war-protester-gets-one-...ceana

by Séan og Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:49

Were any of ur group in Belfast last sunday,
if not why not is your group for western Irish protests only

by Ciaron - Cathlic Worker/Ploughshares Thu Nov 06, 2008 13:37

I didn't know about Belfast until I opened the Guardian on Sat.morning!

I saw the groovy Red and Black R.I.R. posters around Dublin...looked good - but didn't know what they meant, should have read the small print etc.

We weren't contacted by any group organsing in Belfast and there was no mention of it at the large (anti-Shell)gathering in Mayo I attended the previous weekend.

A problem with the anti-war/anti-imperialist scene in Ireland is that it internalises partiion when it organises (this whole island is pretty small space compared to where I come from! so to me that's even more weird).

Also there is a very sectarian vibe here...people organise in anarchist bubbles, republican bubbles, socialist bubbles (and there's probably bubbles within bubbles in those scenes!)...being christian anarchist pacifist we are oftenperceived as too straight for the hips, to hip for the straights, to spikey for the fluffies and too fluffy for the spikies...so we hardly get invited anywhere! Meanwhile we are pretty inclusive at these GPO vigils if youtake a goodlook at the people who vigil with us. Read Harry Browne's "Hammered by the Irish" for a good analysis of why we ended up so isolated in Ireland...you can't put itall down tomy personality deficiencies!

The Catholis Worker in Ireland is weaker than it's ever been (in terms of infrastructure, budget, "true believers" since we landed in '02. We have 180 communities all but 10 of them in North America (primarily U.S.A). Good news is that our Hackney, Oxford, Farm communities (all which unlike other Euro CW's have a strong Berrigan nonvilent resistance influence) in England are now on firm foundation after 10 years. We were undermined in Liverpool by BAe intelligence infiltration.

In the U.S. we are primarily engaged with street homeless in terms of our "acts f mercy". In Fortress Europe ouroutreach seems to be to illegals, refugees etc.

Fair lay toall who got out in the streets in Belfast against the warmachine...I have been circulating the 3 groups who reported back youtubes and statements to the CW's and others in U.S., Eng/Scotland and Australia.

by Sentenced Thu Nov 06, 2008 19:47 Worcester Mass., USA

Two Worcester Catholics were sentenced to community service by
JudgeTimothy S. Hillman in Worcester District Court today.

Ken Hannaford-Ricardi and Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, members of the SS.
Francis & Therese Catholic Worker community, were previously found
guilty of the petty offense of disobeying a US Marshal when they
refused to leave the lobby of the Worcester federal building while
praying the rosary for an end to the Iraq War this past March 19.

For more information:
http://www.pieandcoffee.org/2008/11/06/worcester-cathol...rest/