Fw: [IAC] 500 at War Crimes Tribunal Find Bush Guilty



  ----- Original Message -----
  From: "Action Center" <actioncenter at action-mail.org>
  To: <ulliana at qnet.it>
  Cc: "International Action Center" <actioncenter.actgen at organizerweb.com>
  Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 4:23 PM
  Subject: [IAC] 500 at War Crimes Tribunal Find Bush Guilty


  > 500 at 'war crimes tribunal' find Bush guilty
  >
  >
  > More than 500 people assembled in New York's Martin Luther
  > King, Jr. Auditorium concluded the War Crimes Tribunal
  > with a resounding unanimous vote of guilty, declaring the
  > Bush administration guilty of war crimes, crimes against
  > humanity, and crimes against peace.
  >
  > Declaring the Bush administration a criminal regime, this
  > meeting, which drew speakers and participants from around
  > the world, defended the right of GIs to resist illegal
  > orders to fight against the people of Iraq, expressed
  > solidarity with the Iraqi resistance and declared itself
  > in solidarity with the upcoming Week of Resistance in New
  > York City against the Republican National Convention.
  >
  > At the tribunal, eyewitnesses of events in Iraq, expert
  > witnesses, organizers of tribunals in other countries, and
  > GI resisters, veterans and their families testified to the
  > facts regarding a series of 19 charges against the Bush
  > administration in an indictment prepared by former U.S.
  > Attorney General Ramsey Clark (see
  > www.PeopleJudgeBush.org). Clark summarized the case and
  > called for the guilty verdict.
  >
  > Tribunal organizers and political activists came from
  > Japan, Germany, Turkey, Spain, India, Haiti and Palestine.
  >
  > A GI currently in Toronto, Canada, Brandon Hughey, sent a
  > video message saying why he was refusing to return to
  > Iraq. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era soldier who refused to
  > oppress the Vietnamese and spent six years instead in
  > Sweden and Canada, described the Canadian network to
  > support GIs who refuse to kill Iraqis.
  >
  > To attend the tribunal, the audience and the organizers
  > defied attempts throughout the previous week to make the
  > auditorium unavailable and faced down an enormous police
  > presence on the day of the hearing.  The police set up
  > security check point that many said was more intense than
  > what they experienced when boarding a plane. Entrance
  > included body scans, bag checks, and a massive police
  > presence. Tribunal organizers were charged thousands of
  > dollars extra fees for "security."
  >
  > The Tribunal went forward despite the oppressive
  > atmosphere and attempts by the Bush and Bloomberg
  > administration to criminalize and shut down dissent in the
  > city.  Rather than being shut down, the Tribunal expressed
  > a determination to confront the City and police
  > restrictions, and to be in the streets and in Central
  > Park.
  >
  > Tribunal organizers joined a news conference Aug. 27 at
  > City Hall to defend the rights of protesters and to
  > support the right of people to go to Central Park despite
  > Mayor Bloomberg's refusal to grant permits.
  >
  > The tribunal was the first major action of the week of
  > resistance against the Republican National Convention.
  > Tribunal organizers said they wanted to give a clear
  > anti-war message during the protests. People attending the
  > tribunal picked up signs to take into the streets  with a
  > picture of Bush and the words, "Guilty of War crimes."
  >
  > Tribunal organizer Sara Flounders of the International
  > Action Center said, "We will be in the streets non-stop
  > protesting the Bush policies of war and occupation of
  > Iraq. But shortly after the RNC, we expect to have videos
  > and documents of the entire Tribunal available. I invite
  > those interested in a record of this powerful testimony to
  > contact us."
  >
  > Flounders appealed to the tribunal supporters regarding
  > the latest repressive steps. "Due to the enormous expenses
  > and extra charges involved in the tribunal and in
  > maintaining a resistance center at the International
  > Action Center office this week, and in continuing to
  > mobilize resistance, we appeal to people to contribute at
  > http://www.peoplejudgebush.org/donate.
  >
  > Iraq War Crimes Tribunal
  > Thursday, August 26
  > call 212-633-6646 for more information
  > http://www.PeopleJudgeBush.org for more information
  > Contribute to the War Crimes Tribunal:
  > http://www.PeopleJudgeBush.org/donate.shtml
  >
  >
  >
  > The International Action Center
  > http://www.iacenter.org
  > mail to:iacenter at iacenter.org
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