CTA adults, youth join 12,000 at largest School of Americas protest

by Kevin Horan-Bussey

It started in 1990 with ten people marking the first anniversary of the 1989 murder in El Salvador of six Jesuits and two women employees by Salvadoran military trained at the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA). On the tenth anniversary weekend, Nov. 18-21, 12,000 opponents of SOA - including hundreds of CTAers - gathered at the entrance of Fort Benning Army Base, Columbus, Ga., to demand closure of the school.

The throng almost doubled the 7,000 who came in 1998. On hand were folk musician and activist Pete Seeger, actor Martin Sheen, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), and Jesuit Fr. Dan Berrigan, as well as CTA national staff Kevin Horan-Bussey and Don Wedd. The action was organized by SOA Watch, headed by Maryknoll Fr. Roy Bourgeois.

Protestors' ages ranged from the single digits to some in their 80's and over, bridging several generations of justice activism. About half the protestors were under 30, a big increase from 1998.

The weekend began on Thursday and Friday with a program for people 16 to 30 years old sponsored by Pax Christi and other groups. The climax was a solemn funeral procession Sunday in which over 4,400 people trespassed onto Ft. Benning property.

The peaceful action led to 65 arrests. Of those, most were banned from the base, and 23 face prosecution and possible fines and prison time. Most of those arrested made themselves conspicuous by wearing black robes and white "death masks" and carrying cardboard coffins as they led the long line of protestors. When they reached military police, they poured red fluid on themselves and lay down, symbolizing the thousands killed by SOA graduates.

Yearly SOA protests are getting noticed. In July a $2 million cut in SOA funding passed the House by a hefty 33 vote margin. Unfortunately a House-Senate conference committee cancelled the cut. Then the Army defensively announced plans to change the school's name and modify its curriculum changes, although the school still plans to train Latin American soldiers in counter-insurgency techniques. Currently, House bill HR 732 and Senate bill S 873 seek to close the school outright.

Write your representative and senators. SOA Watch has updates: www.soaw.org or 202 234-3440.