Protest John Negroponte - June 22, 7PM - at his DC home

[jsmacdonald]

PROTEST JOHN NEGROPONTE:
Thursday, June 22 at 7 PM

John Negroponte, US Director of National Intelligence, currently oversees 15 agencies and a multi-billion dollar budget to seek out "terrorists" around the world.

To catch a real terrorist close at hand, he need only look in the mirror.

Negroponte's four and a half decade criminal career has spanned decades and continents. From his connections to CIA trained death squads during his tenure as Ambassador to Honduras (1981-85), to his role as US Ambassador to Iraq, to his newly created position as Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte is responsible for the illegal detention, kidnapping, torture, rape, and murder of thousands of people and the suffering of countless tens of thousands more.

Negroponte lives on a quiet, tree lined street. From the outside, no one would suspect that a high ranking terrorist and war criminal lives in the pretty corner house at 3100 Cleveland Ave. NW.

On Thursday, June 22 at 7 PM,
We will expose him.
We will not be silent.
We will express our outrage.

Please join us.

Bring signs, banners, and noisemakers.
We will meet at Woodley Park Metro Stop and walk/bike/scooter together to the home of Negroponte at 3100 Cleveland Avenue NW.

Sponsored by the DC Anti-War Network (DAWN)
-----------------
Jim
DC Anti-War Network
http://www.dawndc.net
http://jsmacdonald.blogspot.com

[jsmacdonald]

1. Recent demonstrations to Negroponte's have been creepy

A candlelight silent vigil brings heavy police presence on Memorial Day

Activist detained by CIA police for 30 minutes before being released outside of John Negroponte's 3100 Cleveland Avenue NW home

[jsmacdonald]

2. Vermont activists arrested and punched protesting Negroponte

Global Justice
Ecology Project
PO Box 412
Hinesburg, VT 05461
USA [phone]
[e-mail]

Negroponte Visit Spurs Protest and Arrests
by Orin Langelle and Anne Petermann/Global Justice Ecology Project

*Orin Langelle and Anne Petermann are Co-Directors of Global
Justice Ecology Project and are contributors to various publications
internationally.


St. Johnsbury,VT--National Intelligence Director John Negroponte's
Commencement Address to the graduating class of private St. Johnsbury
Academy was disrupted twice by protesters inside the auditorium where the

ceremony was being held.

Over 75 protesters gathered on the sidewalk outside of the Academy
protesting Negroponte's shadowy record that spans decades including a
stint as the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras and Ambassador to Iraq before
his
present position as the nation's number one "intelligence" overseer. Two

other protesters from Vermont School of the Americas Watch were arrested
as they attempted to gain entrance to the auditorium. (More details of
Negroponte's actions in Honduras and his complicity in Nicaragua during
the Contra War in the 1980's).

Briefly after Negroponte began his address, Michael Colby, a horse logger

from Worcester, VT stood up saying, "In the name of democracy I object to

this man speaking. He has blood on his hands from his work in Central
America and Iraq. He shouldn't be at the podium, he should be in jail.
He is a war criminal." Colby was grabbed by police and security and
escorted out of the auditorium to awaiting police cars.

As Colby was being escorted away, Negroponte told the audience, "Now it's

my turn." But before he could continue, Boots Wardinski, another logger
quickly rose stating, "No! It's my turn! When the headmaster intorduced
Negroponte, he forgot to tell about all the people tortured, killed and
raped (under Negroponte's helm in Honduras). You should be ashamed to
stay
in here and listen to this man."

Some of the protesters assembled outside started to move toward the
auditorium. Palmer Legare and Brendan O'Neill, both from Vermont School
of the Americas Watch, were grabbed by the police and arrested.

O'Neill shouted to reporters and bystanders, "They are arresting the
wrong
people. This man (Negroponte) teaches war not peace. He is responsible
for the murders of 30,000 innocent Nicaraguans."

"Negroponte should have been arrested," stated Legare as he was being
arrested and put into a police car. Legare continued, "he is a war
criminal."

All four were arrested for disorderly conduct and trespass although both
Colby and Wardinski had tickets allowing them inside for the Negroponte
speech. Both Colby and Wardinski represented Horse Loggers for Peace and
Wardinski is also a member of Veterans for Peace.

After the four were released, Colby said that he told the arresting
officer that, "I come in peace." Colby said then the officer punched him
in the stomach.

Wardinski said his arresting officer called him a, "punk asshole." Fliers

handed out by protesters made the accusation that while Negroponte was
"ambassador to Honduras from 1981-1985, he collaborated with the Honduran

military government overseeing one of the most scandalous and shameful
periods of U.S. foreign policy overseeing:

--An increase in military aid to Honduras from $4 million a year to over
$77 million

--An illegal and unauthorized 'Contra' war against the Sandinistas in
Nicaragua

--Increased collaboration between U.S. military, CIA., Honduran military

and the Nicaraguan Contras forming paramilitary death squads, secret
torture and detention camps and widespread assassinations of peace and
justice activists

--The disappearances of 32 American women social justice church leaders

--Collaboration between the CIA with the School of the Americas's trained

founders of the infamously violent Honduran paramilitary organizartion
Batallion 3-16

--Censorship of the media's reporting on the war

--The now infamous Iran-Contra Scandal...after the U.S. congress voted to

withdraw support for the (war) due to widespreadhuman rights abuses by
the
Contras..."

Although Negroponte did not speak about foreign policy or government
spying on people in the U.S. during his speech, most protesters were
alarmed that Negroponte was chosen as the Commencement speaker for St.
John's Academy (even though Negroponte's son was graduating.) Long time
activist Brian Tokar told reporters, "It's outrageous that he's being
given a position of honor in our community."

Activists also pointed out that another Vermonter, Robin Lloyd, is in
federal prison after being convicted of "crossing the line" at a Fort
Benning, GA, School of the Americas protest that happened last November.

Jim
DC Anti-War Network
http://www.dawndc.net
http://jsmacdonald.blogspot.com

[jsmacdonald]

3. Report from action

We protested John Negroponte at his home last night with a significantly larger protest. We shouted things like, "A la corte" ("to the court", a reference to the World Court where some have called for Negroponte to go for his crimes, especially in Central America), "asesino" ("murderer"), "Murderers Not Welcome Here!", "Torturers Not Welcome Here!", "Domestic Spies Not Welcome Here!"

Because of outreach to neighbors, some watched while a couple even joined in.

We also had a torture survivor from El Salvador, who blames John Negroponte for his part in death squads from Honduras, who tortured and nearly killed him over a period of months. It was heartbreaking listening to him talk in Negroponte's driveway in one of the only quiet moments of the evening. Some of the police listened intently on him, and one can only wonder what they thought of the fact that they were protecting Negroponte and his property.

There were no arrests, though a man mistakenly walked onto Negroponte's property to take pictures was nearly arrested. He had heard about the protest over the radio and came out.

Some neighbors got in their car and drove up and down the street honking in support.

We had a diverse group from young to old, several people of color, especially Latinos, and ranging across several anti-war and justice groups.

Now, we have to figure out our next steps. It's one thing to have actions increasing in effectiveness; it's another to really organize a perpetual pain in the side for this criminal.

If people have ideas, it would be great if they shared them.

[Terran1212]

4. were there police? nt