9/28 - The Cincinnati Post - Chabot's office the site of war protest

admin — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 15:54:57 +0000

Body:

By James Proffitt
The Cincinnati Post

A generally cordial sit-in - in which Iraq war protesters eventually gave their “hosts” a thank-you note for their hospitality - ended Wednesday evening after eight hours with the arrest of seven people at the downtown office of U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot.

Those arrested included two 15-year-old students from Clark Montessori in Hyde Park and a 78-year-old nun, Mary Evelyn Jegen, who said she considered her willingness to go to jail to drive home the need for getting out of Iraq “an act of patriotism.”

The protesters, members of a group called the Greater Cincinnati Declaration of Peace, gathered on the sidewalk on Vine Street in front of the Carew Tower about 1 p.m. and passed out fliers and held up signs bemoaning U.S. involvement in Iraq. About 2 p.m., about 20 of them went to Chabot’s office on the 30th floor, demanding that he meet with them or that he sign a “Declaration of Peace.”

That document demanded an immediate and concrete plan to end U.S involvement in Iraq and reparations for damage the war has done to the country.

Protesters spent the next six hours in a sit-in with ceremonial readings of Americans and Iraqis killed in the war, protest songs and political conversation.

Beth Bryan, the congressman’s scheduler, did arrange an Oct. 16th meeting for the group with Chabot. But she said he was tied up in a House session and he could not deal with the declaration Wednesday.

Protesters ignored requests from Chabot’s office staff that they leave, so police were called.

After another request to leave, building security and police arrived and ordered protesters to leave. About 8 p.m., three hours after the office was supposed to have closed, some 50 police officers moved in and arrested the visitors still in the office. They did not resist.

Chabot’s chief of staff, Gary Lindgren, said, “This is the first time in my 12 years in this office I can remember a sit-in protest like this.”

During a conversation with Ellen Dienger, the group’s spokesperson, Lindgren assured her that Chabot wants troops out of Iraq as soon as possible too, but not before Iraqi forces are properly trained for success.

Adults arrested were charged with criminal trespassing and released from the Justice Center later. The two teens were transported to Juvenile Detention and released to their parents.

Your Name: Scott

Your Email Address: scott@vcnv.org

Link to Published Item:

Notes:

9/27 - WCPO-9 Cincinnati - Seven Anti-War Protestors Arrested At Chabot's Office

admin — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 05:13:25 +0000

Body:

Reported by: 9News
Web produced by: Neil Relyea
Photographed by: 9News
First posted: 9/27/2006 11:15:00 PM

Police have arrested anti-war protestors who refused to leave a local congressman’s office.

Seven people were arrested inside the Cincinnati office of Congressman Steve Chabot Wednesday night.

The protestors say they were representing the will of the American people.

The group called the Greater Cincinnati Declaration of Peace Coalition arrived around 1 p.m. this afternoon and had the office fax a “National Declaration of Peace” to Chabot in Washington, D.C..

He did not sign it, so the group sang songs, read names of Ohio servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and rang a gong, all in hopes it would change the congressman’s mind.

“It was a national effort,” said Kristen Barker, of the Greater Cincinnati Declaration of Peace Coalition. “Today people were sitting in in congress-people’s offices around the country in an effort to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home.”

At 8 p.m. when the office staff was leaving, the protestors refused to leave, so they called police to remove them.

The ages of the seven protestors arrested ranged from 15 to 78-years-old.

Your Name: Scott

Your Email Address: scott@vcnv.org

Link to Published Item: http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/09/27/chabot_protest.html

Notes:

The Declaration of Peace - Cincinnati

9/28 - The Cincinnati Post - Chabot's office the site of war protest

9/27 - WCPO-9 Cincinnati - Seven Anti-War Protestors Arrested At Chabot's Office