Thursday, September 28
By Theresa Hogue
Gazette-Times reporter
Corvallis peace activist Leah Bolger of the local branch of Veterans for Peace has been arrested again in Washington, D.C. for her anti-war, anti-torture activities.
Bolger spent Wednesday night in a downtown Washington, D.C. jail after being arrested that afternoon in the House of Representatives. She interrupted a House debate on H.R. 6166, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, shouting down a speaker who was in favor of the bill.
H.R. 6166 will allow the creation of military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects, as well as allowing interrogation techniques that do not fall into the category of torture, rape or biological experiments. Opponents call the bill unjust and claim it violates the Geneva Convention and allows the use of some forms of torture.
Bolger, speaking by cell phone shortly after she was released from jail Thursday afternoon, said she was charged with a misdemeanor charge of unlawful conduct disrupting Congress. She pled not guilty during her arraignment Thursday, and will stand trial Nov. 7. She faces up to six months in jail if found guilty, but said she would more likely face a large fine.
She said she was held overnight because of her previous arrest in front of the White House last week after attempting to deliver a large version of the International Declaration of Peace.
She returns to Oregon today, but will fly back to D.C. for her trial.
Theresa Hogue is features reporter for the Gazette-Times.