Original on San Diego Indymedia [1]

A local peace activist faces trial beginning June 26th for committing non-violent civil disobedience during the Declaration of Peace demonstration in San Diego.

The City Attorney’s office has filed charges against Dr. Robert Omar Clay, one of four individuals arrested Sept. 25, 2006, when the Jail Bush contingent of San Diego Civil Disobedients moved their downtown protest of the crimes of the Bush Administration onto Broadway, blocking traffic.

The four were arrested, cited and released. It is unclear why local authorities filed charges against Dr. Clay and not the other three participants in the civil disobedience action. Dr. Clay is a physicist and nuclear weapons analyst, and associate of the University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation.

At the trial Dr. Clay will seek to present a necessity defense, drawing from the tradition of non-violent civil disobedience practiced by peacemakers such as Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. Clay felt it necessary to violate the law to prevent a greater harm, in defense of our democracy and the lives of innocent people. He believed it to be the only means left to call attention to the failure of our representatives in Washington to protect our constitution and our nation from the severe and imminent threat posed by the Bush administration, and to end the violations of national and international law.

CALL TO ACTION for TUESDAY 6/26/07:

• PEACEFUL PRESENCE AT TRIAL gather 8:00 am San Diego Superior Court 220 Broadway, look for person with peace sign for directions
• DEMONSTRATION 5:30 to 6:00 pm Horton Plaza, in front of the Lyceum Theater

For additional information, or to learn how you can support Dr. Clay, contact Stephanie Cauchon at 619-884-3475 or scauchon1@cox.net; www.sdcd.org/jbush/jbush.html