[Peace-discuss] Fwd: URGENT request for anti-war activist

[Alfred Kagan]

It would be great to get some letters out is support of this anti-war 
library worker. Thanks

>Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 13:05:18 -0500 (EST)
>Subject: [SRRTAC-L:13172] URGENT request for anti-war activist
>From: "Elaine Harger" <eharger at agoron.net>
>To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l at ala.org>
>X-Priority: 3
>Importance: Normal
>Cc: <gaunt at grinnell.edu>, <ellison at grinnell.edu>,
>         "Tom Twiss" <ttwiss+ at pitt.edu>
>Reply-To: srrtac-l at ala.org
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>
>Dear PLG & SRRT Colleagues,
>
>What follows is a description of the case of Christine Gaunt who faces
>imprisonment for an act of nonviolence.  It comes with an urgent request
>for letters to the judge who will sentence her on Tuesday.
>
>Christine is a 47-yr-old married, mother of 3 (23, 21, 17).  Her
>family has hog farm in central Iowa.  She has worked as a member of the
>support staff at Burling Library, Grinnell College, for the past 13
>years working primarilly at the Circulation Desk, part-time, nights and
>weekends.  She has also spent over two years doing DLC cataloging. She
>loves her work.
>
>Chris writes that, "My faith has led me to begin speaking out against
>the war and occupation in Iraq.  The tragic events of September 11,
>2001, I believe, have led to tragic consequences around the world as my
>beloved country has sought revenge.  I consider myself a student of
>nonviolence."
>
>She began engaging in acts of civil disobedience at peaceful protests in
>October 2002.  Some acts involved trespass by "crossing the line" onto
>military property in an attempt to speak out against the violence. She
>crossed the line at the annual peaceful protest at Ft. Benning, GA, in
>November 2002 in an effort to close the School of the Americas (see
>soaw.org), and for that crime spent 90 days in a Georgia jail in early
>2003.
>
>In November 2003 she attended a legal rally near Des Moines, IA, called
>STOP THE OCCUPATION: BRING OUR TROOPS HOME.
>
>She writes:  "We were greeted by 16 officers in riot gear, something
>totally new for a peaceful protest in Iowa!  We also found out later
>that undercover police detectives were present at our planning meeting
>the day before.  That was followed by subpoenaes in February to 4 people
>present at that nonviolence training session and a subpoena and gag
>order was issued to Drake University where the meetings took place.
>These subpoenaes were delivered by a member of the Terrorism Task Force!
>All of the subpoenas were dropped in the 11th hour over an outcry heard
>round the world!
>
>"My prayerful response after I crossed the line that day was to go
>limp,a nonviolent tactic.  The result was that I ended up with
>charges of trespass, interference with arrest, and assault on a
>police officer. I was handcuffed with my hands behind my back and my
>body was dragged for a long distance in a very unprofessional manner,
>causing excruciating pain in my shoulders.  They put me into the side
>door of a transport van, but that caused the handcuffs to cut painfully
>into my wrists.  I let the officers know I needed to get out and in
>wiggling backwards my foot came in contact with an officer's body in a
>most gentle way (stomach or groin area).  The Captain of the police
>force ran right out to the media and told them I had kicked an officer
>in the knee and he had to go to the hospital with a probable dislocated
>kneecap.  This incident got me the assault charge and a jury found me
>guilty on 3/16/04. If our motion for a new trial is rejected on the
>morning of the 30th, the judge will go ahead with sentencing."
>
>Chris went to trial, was found guilty, and her sentencing will be on
>Tuesday March 30 at 10 AM at the Polk County Courthouse, 5th & Mulberry,
>in Des Moines.
>
>People are encouraged to show up in support for sentencing.
>
>People can also write letters of support for her expressing concerns
>about the injustice, indeed the absurdity, of her conviction.  She has
>already spent 5 days in jail on this unfair charge.  Ask that a request
>for retrial be granted.
>
>Maximum jail time for the assault conviction is 1 year.  Chris faces 30
>days for an interference of arrest charge, and another 30 days for each
>trespass charge (Nov 16, 2003 and March 21, 2004).  She has already
>served 3 days in jail for the November charges, and 2 days for the
>action on March 21. Chris expects to get some jail time for the assault
>conviction, but will argue for just 30 days.
>
>
>Address your letter to:
>
>Judge Joe E. Smith
>Clerk of Iowa District Court
>Polk County
>500 Mulberry
>Des Moines, IA  50309
>
>The judge will let counsel on both sides see the letters.  Letters should
>be mailed to reach Des Moines on Monday, March 29.
>
>Also, e-mail copies of letters can be sent to David Ellison,
>ellison at grinnell.edu.  He is a colleague of Chris's and is coordinating
>local support for her.
>
>Thank you for acting in support of Chris.
>
>In solidarity,
>
>
>Elaine Harger & Tom Twiss
>Co-chairs
>International Responsibilities Task Force, SRRT
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>Elaine Harger
>Librarian
>W. Haywood Burns School, PS/IS 176
>New York City
>
>212/942-6718 h
>212/942-7862 w
>eharger at agoron.net


-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu