December 2001 Call to Action News

School of the Americas protests continue: 10,000 at Fort Benning

Nearly 10,000 people shared in another non-violent demonstration Nov. 18 at Ft. Benning, Ga., calling for closure of the School of the Americas (SOA). Many CTA members and staffer Kevin Horan-Bussey participated. The annual funeral procession was led by mourners shrouded in black and carrying coffins, while others bore white crosses inscribed with names of Latin Americans slain by graduates of SOA (now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation or WHISC.) Military and city police arrested over 100, including at least three CTAers: Sr. Kathleen Desautels and Anthony Nicotera of Chicago, and Teresa Stanley of Southern Shores, N.C. Stanley was one of 31 arrested and held by the Columbus. Ga., city police. A statement she and the other women prisoners made to the judge said, "As people of conscience from all walks of life, we cannot back down from the truth that people are being tortured and killed every day. We are prepared to make whatever sacrifices we need to make in order to stand up for the rights of all beings." Nicotera, arrested by the military police after kneeling before the fort gates for nearly 12 hours, reflected, "When they arrest people simply for praying for peace, maybe it is time to get arrested."

Five more CTA members - Dave Corcoran, Sr. Dorothy Hennessey, Sr. Gwen Hennessey, Elizabeth Ann McKenzie, and Miriam Spencer - remain in prison for their action at last year's demonstration.

As of Nov. 30, 90 Congressional representatives had signed on as cosponsors of the bill, HR 1810, aimed at closing the WHISC. SOA Watch urges its supporters to contact their Representatives. If they are cosponsors, thank them and ask them to actively work for the bill's passage. If not, urge them to call Cindy Buhl in Rep. McGovern's office or John Hendricks in Rep. Scarborough's office to co-sponsor it.

The Capitol switchboard is at 202 224-3131.
See a related story about the epidemic of violence in Colombia
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