KCCI 8 - Des Moines [1]
September 25, 2006

People Charged With Trespassing

DES MOINES, Iowa — Eleven peace activists were arrested Monday after trying to pressure two members of Iowa’s congressional delegation into signing a declaration to support a new course of action in Iraq.

Four activists were taken into custody after attempting to enter elevators that lead to U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley’s office at a federal office building in downtown Des Moines. Seven others were arrested during a sit-in at U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell’s office nearby, according to former Roman Catholic priest Frank Cordaro, who was among the activists taking part in a weeklong national campaign for The Declaration of Peace coalition.

The 11 protesters were issued citations for simple misdemeanors and must appear in court on the charges.

The effort, backed by more than 330 organizations, asks lawmakers to publicly support a plan to bring troops home, oppose future military invasions and co-sign legislation for a comprehensive peace plan.

Boswell, a Democrat, said in a statement that he wouldn’t sign such a pledge because he does not support a specific timetable for pulling troops out of Iraq.

Grassley spokeswoman Beth Levine said that along with a bipartisan majority of his Senate colleagues, Grassley, a Republican, contends that a pre-arranged timeline would only embolden the insurgency and undermine the efforts of the troops.

Similar stories: WOI-TV ABC5 [2], KWWL-TV NBC7 [3], WHO TV-Des Moines [4]