Veterans Attempt Citizens Arrest of Rumsfeld in Boston

[Hissyspit]

Source: Raw Story / WCVB-TV

Veterans attempt citizens arrest of Rumsfeld in Boston

Posted on 09.27.11
By David Edwards

Several members of the group Veterans for Peace were escorted out of the Old South Meeting House in Boston Monday night after they attempted a citizen’s arrest of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

“I went down in front and looked Donald Rumsfeld in the eye and said, ‘I’m making a citizen’s arrest,’” protester Nate Goldschlag told WCVB-TV.

“He lied us into Iraq. He lied about weapons of mass destruction. He lied about Saddam Hussein being involved in 9/11.”

Three of the protesters removed from the event were with Veterans for Peace and a fourth was a member of Code Pink. One protester was arrested outside the event for allegedly using a bullhorn to assault a police officer.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/09/veterans-attempt-citizens-arrest-of-rumsfeld-in-boston/

---

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/r/29312294/detail.html

Protesters Greet Former Defense Secretary

1 Arrest Made At Old Meeting House Event

POSTED: 6:08 am EDT September 27, 2011
UPDATED: 7:54 am EDT September 27, 2011

BOSTON -- Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld got a rude welcome in Boston Monday night as he promoted his new book.

Several protesters tried to disrupt a forum with Rumsfeld at the Old South Meeting House, shouting and holding up signs as most of the audience shouted and booed them down.

"I went down in front and looked Donald Rumsfeld in the eye and said, 'I'm making a citizen's arrest,' said protester Nate Goldschlag, a member of the group Veterans for Peace, who had to buy Rumsfeld's book to get into the event.

"He lied us into Iraq. He lied about weapons of mass destruction. He lied about Saddam Hussein being involved in 9/11," Goldschlag said.

[Arctic Dave]

1. HUUUUGE K&R!

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Hissyspit.:thumbsup:

[bjobotts]

50. This war criminal should be shunned at every oportunity for the death and destruction he caused

The evidence is clear to the court of public opinion. He ordered torture. He helped start a war under known false pretenses and his own incompetence caused mass destruction and death. He should never be allowed to feel comfortable or safe in America again because we all know he will not be jailed or held accountable by our own government...It is America's hypocrisy that some are above the laws that the rest of us must live by.

[GreenStormCloud]

3. They achieved nothing except getting themselves removed & one arrested.

Rummy likely laughed about it.

[Scuba]

5. It's called "raising awareness". n/t

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[GreenStormCloud]

16. Only those who were already aware paid any attention.

The rest didn't care.

[EFerrari]

19. The Great Kreskin, is that you?

[GreenStormCloud]

29. See post #27. The folks in the stands shouted the vets down.

And you think they cared. Their game was being stalled. Wake up and join the real world.

[EFerrari]

32. Projection and name calling. I guess not.

:)

[No Elephants]

80. Most who would have gone to hear Rumsfeld would have been Republicans.

Without these people, it probably would have been a lovefest.

They brought public attention to his presence in our city and to his crimes.

And maybe they even made the POS feel scared for bit.

I am not seeing the down side.

[bluestateguy]

40. In other words, making us feel good inside

and accomplishing absolutely nothing substantive.

[No Elephants]

81. Wow.

[deutsey]

98. It is amazing, isn't it?

[EFerrari]

92. Challenging criminal impunity is never nothing. n/t

[kenfrequed]

104. Ok...

What WOULD accomplish something? How do we get these guys prosecuted? I was wildly in favor of attempting to impeach Bush and prosecute his administration while he was in office but was continually told that they would get their comeupance after they were out of office.

Sometimes it feels as though the same people that told us to get over impeachment and to stop bringing it up are the same people that are mocking and scorning any attempt at getting justice now. So tell me, what is the penalty for lying us into a war, helping out corrupt contractors, savaging the treasury to enrich your friends, killing a few thousand Americans, turning a good portion of the world against us, maiming tens of thousands of soldiers for life, and killing upwards of a hundred thousand Iraqis?

[chrisa]

28. That's not the point

The point is to keep doing this so that people don't forget about it.

[FedUp_Queer]

39. Exactly.

Just like all those Negroes back in the 1960s. All they did was get themselves arrested. I only fault VFP for not decking Rumsfeld right across the nose and making him taste his own blood instead of the blood of innocent Iraqis and Afghanis he, undoubtedly, feasts on.

[plumbob]

54. Very well said.

And all those Indians just got themselves beaten with Gandhi for nothing - the British still rule today.


Oh,wait.

[jwirr]

42. So what are you suggesting we do about the growing corporatism

in this country? Just wait around until the whole country is ready to stand up and start protesting? It will be way to late then. The protests in the 50-80s started with small actions and they grew.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

76. Here's what you do. http://occupytogether.org/

You make the occupy movement national.
And you make the message simple.
WALL ST. STOLE FROM ALL OF US !

[No Elephants]

78. And our elected officials made it possible.

The head of Goldman Sachs did not just walk into the U.S. Mint and walk out with our money.

The Executive Branch of both Parties said it had to happen ASAP and a Democratic-controlled Congress passed laws--almost unconditional laws, too.

And then the damned banks didn't lend anyway because the laws that gave them the money to lend did not say the banks had to lend it. God forbid we told them what to do with our money. Apparently, on some convoluted theory, that would have been Socialist. Funny, the government tells me what I have to do with a good chumk of my money--and I earned it.


We'd better wake the hell up and stop acting as though one political Party or the other is our home town baseball team and we are their unconditional and loyal fans. That was the old paradigm.

[Divine Discontent]

47. so? do you think nothing should ever be done where people point out the shameful actions of those in

power, like Rummy, in his having a dirty bloody hand in so much abuse, murder, and warmongering? It is many have learned about the misdeeds, and came to our side!

http://www.zazzle.com/republicans_2012_keeping_millions_out_of_work_bumper_sticker-128002960205017719 http://www.cafepress.com/barackobama12

[shanti]

58. he who laughs first

heh.

[JackRiddler]

74. Would you like a medal for being less aware of what they achieved than Rumsfeld himself?

What did you achieve with your post?

[No Elephants]

79. ? That, or worse, is what usually happens when people engage in civil disobedience.

[Le Taz Hot]

94. Keep that powder dry!

:eyes:

[tcaudilllg]

99. Add another to the list of ignored extremists.

[polmaven]

100. What do you suggest

that they should have done? They are "Veterans for Peace"......not Veterans for Violence. They obviously believe in peace in every sector of society.

[LanternWaste]

103. And getting people, including you and I to talk about it...

And getting people, including you and I to talk about it... which is, I believe, the ultimate goal-- raising awareness, getting into the public eye by hook or by crook, a catalyst for conversations. :shrug:

[Dogtown]

105. They made the news.

They raised my spirits and gained my admiration.

They renewed public knowledge of Rumsfeld's crimes.


What have *you* done today, besides undercut some heroes?

[xxqqqzme]

109. It achieved something for those involved

How dare you judge what they did or did not accomplish.








Going rate for posts these days? I've never seen a chart, but I am curious.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

114. Total fail. Go back into your oblivion.

[awoke_in_2003]

115. oh, well then...

I guess they should just sit down and shut up, like the majority of americans are doing.

[Scuba]

4. Our vets rock!!!!

[avaistheone1]

6. They do!!

[Gin]

7. I am sure they flustered that lying sack of crap.....

someone has to do SOMETHING SOMETIME.

[lyonn]

26. There is nothing the protesters can do that can compare to

the pain, death and mental misery that our troops have had to endure due to the slims like Rummy and Dickhead..... The protestors appeared polite but determined, that is more than I can say about Rummy and Dummy Dick. Three cheers for all the protestors.

[No Elephants]

82. The ones who did this do. I greatly appreciate someone being willing to die for this country.

But, for a long time, that is not what they've been dying for.

Things are very messed up.

It's hard to find a balance between being very appreciative and glorifying the military in an unhealthy way. Not saying anyone is doing that. That is just something I am very much strugglying with inside myself.

[KansDem]

8. Why was Rumsfeld permitted to leave?

Aren't "citizen's arrest" worth anything?

[24601]

17. Not when there's no crime - Otherwise, I hereby arrest one-half

of America.

[GreenStormCloud]

18. Gotta have a warrant for that sort of thing.

At that level they don't do perp walks. Instead a warrant is delivered to his lawyer who then talks to gov't lawyers, etc. Joe Blow off the street can't walk up to him and arrest him. If they could, you would have RW guys trying to arrest Obama. That the charges would't stick would be beside the point.

[creeksneakers2]

30. It varies by state

in states that allow citizen's arrest its usually only when there is a felony in progress. The person arrested must be immediately taken to the nearest police officer.

[No Elephants]

83. I just read the wiki. Apparently, you have to be a witness to the crime or be assisting the police

at their request.

The wiki article also seems to assume a violation of state law. I am not sure there is any such thing as a citizen's arrest for violations of international law.

Today, I think citizen's arrests are very much discouraged, as with all the convenience store employees who are told not to resist a crook. We are encouraged, at least informally, just to stay safe and leave it to the professionals.

[Vidar]

9. Naturally, Veterans deserve our support by the very nature of the dangerous work

they do. Unfortunately, too many of them are suckered into right-wing group-think through a somewhat warped sense of esprit de corps and despicable manipulation by the brass, media & politicians. Nonetheless, they still deserve our respect & pity.

That said, I fervently applaud this group of protesters for being an obvious exception to my generalization.

[DocMac]

10. I just put a guy on ignore

from another thread because I mentioned my service in the Marine Corp and he didn't think I was pro gun enough.

That was a first, ignoring someone here at DU. Why do people assume Marines are still gung-ho when they get old?

Anyway, sure wish I could have said that to Rummy.

[cachukis]

11. You gotta love it!

[bemildred]

12. I hope they took pictures. nt

[mnhtnbb]

14. Good for Nate, although that sack of s$it Rumsfeld will never

suffer the consequences of his lies and deceit in this life, IMO.
It really makes me hope there is a hell.

[lunatica]

15. I hope this happens to Rummy a lot

He may never be arrested but maybe he'll prefer not to venture outside his house and thereby be symbolically in jail.

A woman can dream.

[annabanana]

45. Virtual House Arrest.

I like it.

[Auntie Bush]

20. K & R

:kick:

[patrice]

21. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for STANDING UP for **O**U**R** Soldiers!!!

Sat Nam!

[bongbong]

22. bullhorn assaulted a police officer?

Wow, they must be using those new high-powered bullhorns! They're as dangerous as a taser or baseball bat! :sarcasm:

Some cops sure seem like wimps. They need 20 guys to beat up one suspect, and their eardrums are soooooo sensitive!

[coalition_unwilling]

25. And they have no problems whatsoever macing people who are

already under restraint but their poor wittle eardwums can't handle the exercise of fwee speech? Awwwww

[Firebrand Gary]

23. LMAO...K&R

[polichick]

24. K&R Awesome!! And how pathetic that the lame-ass audience shouted the vets down.

[coalition_unwilling]

27. Interesting that it happened in Boston. Back in the 1850s, Boston

could be a dangerous, nigh insurrectionary, place if you were pro-slavery or even simply a federal official trying to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act. I wonder what Bostonians continue to hold Rumsferatu in such high regard.

[polichick]

31. They must've been teabaggin' fools!

[No Elephants]

85. John Adams (of Massachusetts) was the one

who tried hardest to omit the institution of slavery from this country before this country even got firmly started.

Don't know what, if anything, he did regarding native Americans and he gently turned down his beloved wife's exhortations not to forget the women--kinda like, "I'd love to, sugar, but the other guys would never stand for it." Fact is, he never tried, though.

Ultimately, he compromised on slavery, though, to get support for independence. leaving this country a shame and injustice whose effects we still live under.

But, it's understandable that Boston went with home boy's original abhorrence of slavery. (He died in 1826, not that long before 1850)

Paul Revere's very own dad (an "undocumented" immigrant) had changed his name because of the prejudice he had encountered in Boston against the French (though a well born woman of British descent whose family had already been here for, I think, three generations did marry him).

Even the Boston Tea Party had a racist side, with the men dressed as native Americans so that any reprisals from the British would fall on them.

And, when a federal court in Boston ordered school busing, one of the ugliest (ideologically) modern photos I've seen was taken in Boston--a young white man using a flag pole like a spear against an African American attorney.

I love and am very proud of my adopted city and state sooo much, but I cannot tell a lie. Like most things, it's a very mixed bag (whatever that expression means).

[coalition_unwilling]

86. I suspect the audience for Rummy Dummy consisted of the offspring of some

of those same South Bostonians who protested against busing back in the 70s. (Your post reminded me that Martin Luther King, Jr. said the worst white racism he encountered came not in the South but in Skokie, IL during the Poor People's Campaign.)

I was born in Boston but moved away as a small child and have only been back twice in my adulthood to visit. Love the city, its warts and blemishes notwithstanding.

[gtar100]

72. Except, who else but a bunch of losers would come out to see Rummy

You must remember they are under the influence of Fox News propaganda. Their minds have been warped and they can no longer see reality for what it is.

[No Elephants]

84. Well, those who were there without the intention of disrupting

were just for the "privilege" of seeing him in person, hearing what he had to say, supporting his book and maybe even (be still, my heart) getting to shake his hand.

So, how lame would that audience have been?

[kenfrequed]

107. Well

Since the Tea Party is imploding, the Bushites that made up its ranks are going back to the Bush people as they think the Tea Party has diverted the reek of one of the worst presidents in American history.

Which was really the whole point of the exercise anyhow. Distract, deflect, and divert blame while pretending to be grass roots all so that they could revive the Republican brand for the next election. They succeeded in possibly stopping what should have been a generational win for the democratic party.

[geardaddy]

108. Those are very good points.

The Tea Partiers say they weren't happy with Bush, but they didn't start saying it until Obama got elected.

[rasputin1952]

33. As a member of VfP, Chapt 9 Smedley Butler Brigade...

I received a call at 4PM and could not get downtown in time...:(

I recognize many faces in the crowd, Pat, in the sunglasses and John in the Rumsfeld mask are very active and I wish i had could have been there with them.

These are good people, fair and honest people who truly care about the road this nation is on.

I feel terrible I could not get there in time, but the coverage the local news gave was well received.

"War Is A Racket" MG Smedley Butler, USMC

[Dogtown]

106. Heartfelt thanks to you and your comrades!

:patriot:

Sorry that Poster #3 felt the need to denigrate the sacrifice made by your friends. Your group has my deepest respect.

[newspeak]

112. It's too bad we don't have more MG smedley butler's

in our military today. Of course, with the political climate today, telling the truth in the military gets you gone, especially under someone like little boots. It looks like to me, we're left with little boot's "yes" men.

[fascisthunter]

34. What This has done, is give others Courage to do the Same

and it scares the shit out of some. First indication of fear, is attacking the legitimacy or purpose of the actions of these brave veterans. Can't be having someone show up Mr. Supremo-Shit-Head-Sociopath, now can we?

[bread_and_roses]

35. K&R & n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. Great!!

[PotatoChip]

37. A huge thank you to these Veterans!

I hope this catches on everywhere Rumsfeld and his fellow war criminals go. K&R!!!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

38. +1 ....You Go, Boston !!!

[SoapBox]

41. Go Vets Go!

...hilarious.

[frylock]

43. big ups to these courageous bastards!

:patriot:

[Fire Walk With Me]

44. ...

:applause:

[Aaria]

46. Keep it up till they can't leave their homes.

[Scruffy1]

48. Keep these criminals in check.

Bush slithered in and out of Minneapolis last week. Rumsfield, Cheney and there ilk are criminals without a justice system to prosecute them. But just because they got away with in our corrupt legal system doesn't mean that we don't know the truth. They should be tailed 24/7 and never allowed to profit from their crimes.

[dotymed]

49. Citizen Participation is great

And so needed.

Thanks VFP.

[jtrockville]

51. This needs to happen to Rumsfeld (& Rice, Cheney, Bush, Yoo, Feith, et al)

each and every time they venture out of their home.

[bvar22]

52. Thank You, Vets.

Today, you changed The World...
just a little, but some.
Others WILL be inspired,
and MY evening just became one degree of hope & inspiration better!

Standing Up against FILTH like Rumsfeld is NEVER a futile gesture,
and it lets The World know that there ARE some Americans who can see the truth.
:patriot:


You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.

Solidarity!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[FailureToCommunicate]

53. "You had to buy his book to be admitted to the hall" "Questions were pre screened..."

(Boy i can't believe I missed THAT fun event!)

Good for Nate and the others from VfP!!

Old South Meeting. Couldn't have been arrested at a more iconic, or ironic place.


thanks, hissy.

[FLAprogressive]

55. Silly them, laws are for poor people.

[MissDeeds]

56. K&R #150

Rumsfeld lied, soldiers died. Evil bastard. How could he ever look a soldier in the eye? I despise him, and his band of liars.

:grr:

[Mnemosyne]

57. VFP!! K&R! n/t

[lonestarnot]

59. FUCKING A!

And I can't take a position!

[No Elephants]

87. Have you tried stretching first?

[Solly Mack]

60. K&R

[begin_within]

61. I hope Rumsfeld soiled his pants.

[lordsummerisle]

62. k&r!! n/t

[libodem]

63. Then they placed their hands aroud his neck

And choked him unconscious, poured water up his nose, rammed a fist up his rear, and served him papers.

[bertman]

64. This vet says THANK YOU, VFP!! Now, I am going to send in my dues tonight. REC. nt

[MrMickeysMom]

65. I wish there was such a thing as an 'audio bomb'

I'd buy the book, come in, plant the audio, and send the signal to something to boost it over the loud speakers.... Just let the tape role. Same accusations of "Rumsfeld is a war criminal" .

Is this fantasy? Sometimes I wish I was a wizard of an engineer!

[orbitalman]

66. Truly K & R

[annm4peace]

67. Support your local Vets for Peace

You don't have to be a Vet to support them or join them. You can be a supporting member like me. either financially or physically or both.
it is the best money spent.


http://veteransforpeace.org/

[Yon_Yonson]

68. I am proud to be associated with these VFP members ... job well done

[Left Coast2020]

69. Did anyone arrest Cheney while he was in Canada?

They had a chance to get the big khuana if they wanted to. :banghead:

[Yon_Yonson]

70. Nope ... I am afraid these big khuana are above the law

and here is my thought ‘the problem with justice in America is the legal system’ sorry to say!

[EFerrari]

91. There was a big protest in Vancouver. n/t

[azul]

71. Rumsfeld is despicable and his presence makes many people angry.

But, astonishingly, there are people who like and support him, because they consider him on their side. Sides, division. Are Rummy and the Bushco team now divisive hot-button issues? By design ugly targets?

It is the big corporations and their money that put these dangerous sociopathic clowns up in positions of power for people to love or hate when they do what is expected of them or what they are ordered to do. Maybe just like lightning rods these public scoundrels are there to take the heat while the real profiteers and crooks sit in the banks defended by soldiers counting their spoils -and get a free pass?

The system selects for divisive sell-out dupes. It is not just broken by injustice, it is intent on aiming people at each other with personalized weapons of violence and hatred and intolerance.

[kestrel91316]

73. K&R

[me b zola]

75. K&R

[BillyJack]

77. K&R

:kick:

[No Elephants]

88. Democrats putting this down? Fucking amazed, I am.

[libmom74]

90. No kidding.

Whenever I see posts like that on a Democratic board I have to admit it seems a bit suspicious.

[HughBeaumont]

93. I'm not. I fully expected it.

I also fully expected the "What crimes did he commit?" brigade to come out. Really surprised no one's asked that question, as the "sensible liberals" usually ask when this sort of action happens.

So many "hippie punchers" on here, it's fucking pathetic. They're almost as bad as the people who support Third Way laissez-fail-lite economics, unfettered capitalism, free markets and globalization on a Democratic board.

[Joey Liberal]

97. Heck, Democrats complain about Bill Maher

What did you expect?

[Rex]

89. This shit is getting real, Donald can you feel the heat yet!?

You pissed off troops Don, not a good idea.

[Enthusiast]

95. Kicked and recommended!

Rumsfeld should be thrown in the deepest darkest prison along with Cheney and Dubya.

[Joey Liberal]

96. Makes me proud to be a Veteran! nt

[raccoon]

101. K&R! nt

[Cyrano]

102. These veterans took an oath to protect and defend the Consitution

And that's exactly what they were doing with the attempted citizen's arrest of Rumsfeld.

Unfortunately, the thugs guarding the war criminal stopped them from fulfilling their oath.

[Yon_Yonson]

116. That we did and even though 40 years has passed I still take it seriously

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

NOTE: The word Domestic!

[firehorse]

110. now there is some good news

[raouldukelives]

111. K&R

[FlyByNight]

113. Good!

Although I doubt he'll ever be held legally accountable, this still warms my soul.

Rumsfeld is a monster.

[sarcasmo]

117. Right on.