Leah Bolger hearing for Supercommittee CD

Approximately 30 supporters attended the press conference and sentencing hearing for a courageous member and current President of Veterans For Peace, Leah Bolger.  She told the truth about military spending to the Super Committee, the primary message being "Tax the Rich, Stop the Wars".

The judge was very sympathetic to Leah's position and allowed her to show the 52 second video of her action and heard her personal testimony as well as that of two other supporters.  Although the prosecution requested a stay-away from the capitol area order, the judge said he thinks that it's important for everyone, unless they have committed a very egregious offense, to be able to protest in legal ways.  She received a 60-day suspended sentence, 9 months of parole, a $50 fine for the Victims of Crime Fund, and 20 hours of community service.  Working on behalf of Veterans For Peace counts toward her community service hours, so obviously she'll have that done by the end of this weekend.

 More pictures

Veterans For Peace UK Public Launch

Veterans For Peace UK had their initial meeting and Public Launch at the Guiseppe Conlon Catholic Worker House in London on Easter Monday, April 9, 2012.  There were approximately 60 people in attendance.  The speakers were veterans who told the stories their military service and subsequent refusal to fight in wars that they have learned are started with lies for the purpose of lining the pockets of the rich.  They have learned first hand the horrors of war and how easily innocent civilians are killed and maimed in these conflicts.

Now they speak out against war and occupation of foreign lands and the militarization of our society, advocating a non-violent approach to conflict as new members of Veterans For Peace.

They support war resistance in its various forms, and that includes supporting Bradley Manning and Julian Assange for telling the public the truth about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Three members of Veterans For Peace in the United States came to support the new UK chapter - Barry Ladendof, Gerry Condon, and Helen Jaccard

Pictures

NATO Game Over!

NATO Game Over!  Demonstration against the NATO headquarters and nuclear bombs stored just outside of Brussels – at least 360 people were arrested and there were about 200 of us who were not in the danger zone demonstrating and supporting those brave souls who tried to cross the fence into NATO.  Video It was a good event and especially good to be together with several of our friends from previous visits to Brussels.  The sign, "NATO out of Sardinia" reflects the fact that two of our Brussels friends went to Sardinia and told us about the military use of the island and consequent cancers, birth defects, and contamination.  This information led us to visit Sardinia and investigate, and write an article.  More pictures

I see this as one event leading up to the big Chicago event in May.