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  Published on Sunday, November 17, 2002 by the Associated Press
      School of the Americas Watch
      Thousands Attend Annual Military School Protest
      by Elliott Minor

      COLUMBUS, Ga. -- More than 90 people, including at least 6 nuns,
      were arrested      for marching onto Fort Benning grounds Sunday during an annual
      protest of a      U.S. military program that trains Latin American soldiers.

      "I feel anger at the deliberate teaching of violence," said Caryl
      Hartjes, a      nun from Fondulac, Wisc., as she entered the compound. "I don't feel
      anger at      the military who will put handcuffs on me."


            Five Roman Catholic nuns march and carry crosses on Sunday,
            Nov. 17,            2002, during a demonstration in Columbus, Ga., against a
            school at            nearby Fort Benning that trains Latin American soldiers. From
            right are,            Dorothy Pagosa of St. Mary in the Woods, Ind., 48; Rita Clare
            Gerardot,            76, of Chicago; Joann Quinker, of Oaklawn, Ill.; Kathleen Long of
            Chicago; and Cathleen Jessick, of Chicago. All five risked
            jail by by            stepping Fort Benning property to protest. (AP Photo/Elliott
            Minor)
      About 6,500 protesters gathered for the 13th annual demonstration by
      the      School of the Americas Watch, which continues to protest the Nov.
      19, 1989      killings of six Jesuit priests in El Salvador. Protesters said they
      demonstrate because some of the people responsible for the killings
      were      trained at the military school.

      Demonstrators passed through gates, including one where they cut the
      padlock      and slipped through fenceposts to gain access onto the property.

      Inside, a line of military police guided protesters up a hill where
      they were      arrested, a federal offense that carries up to six months in prison.

      "This decision to go in is a spontaneous thing. There was no
      planning," said      Bill Quigley, a lawyer representing the protesters. "We're here to
      support the      voices that are trying to make our country's international actions
      more just."

      Demonstrators carried American flags and crosses honoring the
      alleged victims      of the abuses in Latin America. Three protesters carried a
      mock-coffin draped      in black. Others wore shirts that said "No War in Iraq."

      "I don't want to give up my freedom and I would enjoy peace and
      justice more,      but as a person of faith, I can't stand back and watch the
      atrocities," said      Dorothy Pagosa, a 48-year-old nun, as she was being arrested. "The
      atrocities      that have happened have brought shame on this country."

      About 7,000 protesters took part last year, including 31 who entered
      the post      illegally.

      The Army's School of the Americas was replaced last year by a new
      institution      operated by the Department of Defense and supervised by an independent
      13-member board that includes lawmakers, scholars, diplomats and
      religious      leaders.

      Officials say the new school, known as the Western Hemisphere
      Institute for      Security Cooperation, still trains Latin American soldiers, but also
      focuses      on civilian and diplomatic affairs. Human rights courses are mandatory.

      Protest leaders say the change was only cosmetic, and they have
      promised to      continue the demonstrations.

      Copyright 2002 Associated Press