The "SOA 16" - guilty of telling the truth
Margaret Bryant-Gainer, 38, of Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia was sentenced to 71 days. Margaret was incarcerated in Muscogee County jail since November 2006 and was released on Monday. Welcome home Margaret!
Tina Busch-Nema, 48, Kirkwood, Missouri - - 2 months in federal prison
Don Coleman, 69, a co-pastor at the University Church, from Chicago, Illinois - 2 months in federal prison
Valerie Fillenwarth, 64, a homemaker from Indianapolis, Indiana - 3 months & 10 days in federal prison
Philip Gates, 70, a retired school superintendent from Prescott, Arizona - 2 months in federal prison
Alice Gerard, 50, a freelance journalist from Grand Island, New York - 6 months in federal prison
Joshua Harris, 30, from San Diego is a graduate student at Claremont University - 2 months in federal prison
Melissa Helman, 23, a student from Ashland, Wisconsin - 2 months in federal prison
Martina Leforce, 22, Berea, Kentucky - 2 months in federal prison
Julienne Oldfield, 69, Syracuse, New York - 3 months in federal prison
(Katherine) Whitney Ray, a 17 year old college student from Indianapolis, Indiana - 1 year probation and community service
Sheila Salmon, 71, Sebastian, Florida - 3 months & 10 days in federal prison
Nathan Slater, 23, Berea / Edmonton, Kentucky - 2 months in federal prison
Mike Vosburg-Casey, a 32 year old piano tuner and chicken farmer from Atlanta, Georgia - 3 months & 10 days in federal prison
Graymon Ward, 20, Raleigh, North Carolina - 1 month in federal prison
Cathy Webster, 61, a peace activist and grandmother from Chico, California - 2 months in federal prison
Support those Facing Prison for Speaking Out Against the SOA
Prison witness has been a core element of the SOA Watch movement since its beginning. In the tradition of Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr., Aung San Suu Kyi and countless others, SOA Watch activists have used peaceful, nonviolent resistance to expose the horrors of the SOA/ WHINSEC and to express solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Latin America.
As a result, 211 SOA Watch human rights defenders have collectively spent over 92 years in prison. Over 50 people have served probation sentences. Their sacrifice and steadfastness in the struggle for peace and justice provide an extraordinary example of love in action and have given tremendous momentum to the effort to change oppressive US foreign policy and to close the SOA/ WHINSEC.
Click here for actions to take in solidarity with those in prison and on probation.
Read the chronology of past SOA Watch prisoners of conscience.
8:00am -
The procession arrived at the Columbus U.S. Courthouse and met with the local press for a fifteen minute press conference. We heard statements from five of the 16 defendants: Joshua Harris, Cathy Webster, Martina Leforce, Alice Gerard and Don Coleman. In his statement, Joshua Harris spoke of the diverse backgrounds and inspiration of the sixteen defendants; Cathy Webster, in all her wisdom as a grandmother and peace activists reminded us of the importance of love and solidarity against all odds ; Martina Leforce spoke of the connections between the SOA/WHINSEC and the inherent injustice within the political and economical policies implemented by the U.S. government; defendant Alice Gerard's statement focused our need to defend our right to freedom of speech; the closing statement came from Don Coleman of Chicago, IL who told us the story of a family from Guatemala who was torn apart by SOA-trained military during the dirty war.
7:40am -
The SOA 16 together with friends, families and supporters began the march to the courthouse calling out the names of victims of SOA/WHINSEC sponsored violence in Latin America and responding with "Presente!".
7:30am -
This morning we gathered at the lobby of the Howard Johnson hotel on Veteran's Parkway to begin the procession to the U.S. Courthouse. Fr. Roy Bourgeoise of SOA Watch gave an emotionally-charged opening speech before initiating the march to downtown Columbus.
January 28-30, 2007 - Festival of Hope and SOA 16 Trials
Throughout the week of January 28-30 Columbus, Georgia is once again the meeting place for human rights activists from around the country. Families, friends and supporters traveled thousands of miles to accompany and share with the sixteen SOA Watch activists who will be facing trial on Monday the 29th.
- On Sunday, January 28th we gathered at the Howard Johnson’s Presidential Ballroom to celebrate the Festival of Hope. We celebrated the struggle for human rights and justice by sharing stories, anecdotes, poetry and singing songs of hope.
Former Prisoner of Conscience (POC), Ken Kennon, read a poem written during his time served in federal prison for protesting the SOA/WHINSEC. Father Roy Bourgeoise gave us an update from his recent trip to Latin America where together with Lisa Sullivan, Carlos Mauricio and Pablo Ruiz (Observadores de la Escuela de las Americas-Chile) he met with other human rights activists and government authorities in Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Nicaragua. We also had the honor of hearing Jennifer Harbury, author of “Truth, Torture and the American Way” (Beacon Press, 2005) and widow of Efrain Bamaca Velasquez, a Mayan resistance leader who was abducted, tortured and executed by Guatemalan graduates of the SOA/WHINSEC.
- On Monday, January 29, the SOA 16 will appear in federal court in Columbus to put the SOA/WHINSEC on trial.The sixteen were arrested on November 19, 2006, after carrying the protest to close the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) onto the Fort Benning Military Reservation, publicly defying the laws which prevent political speech on military bases and making a bold call for justice and accountability.
The sixteen were held at Ft. Benning and charged for "unlawful entry" by the federal court. Fifteen of the sixteen arrested were released after bail money ($500 - $1,000/per person) was posted. One person, Margaret Bryant-Ganer, opted to remain in prison, awaiting trial; she is being held at Muscogee County Jail in Columbus, Georgia. (Photo: Linda Panetta )
Read about the SOA 16 in the news.
Tina Busch-Nema, 48, Kirkwood, Missouri - - 2 months in federal prison
Don Coleman, 69, a co-pastor at the University Church, from Chicago, Illinois - 2 months in federal prison
Valerie Fillenwarth, 64, a homemaker from Indianapolis, Indiana - 3 months & 10 days in federal prison
Philip Gates, 70, a retired school superintendent from Prescott, Arizona - 2 months in federal prison
Alice Gerard, 50, a freelance journalist from Grand Island, New York - 6 months in federal prison
Joshua Harris, 30, from San Diego is a graduate student at Claremont University - 2 months in federal prison
Melissa Helman, 23, a student from Ashland, Wisconsin - 2 months in federal prison
Martina Leforce, 22, Berea, Kentucky - 2 months in federal prison
Julienne Oldfield, 69, Syracuse, New York - 3 months in federal prison
(Katherine) Whitney Ray, a 17 year old college student from Indianapolis, Indiana - 1 year probation and community service
Sheila Salmon, 71, Sebastian, Florida - 3 months & 10 days in federal prison
Nathan Slater, 23, Berea / Edmonton, Kentucky - 2 months in federal prison
Mike Vosburg-Casey, a 32 year old piano tuner and chicken farmer from Atlanta, Georgia - 3 months & 10 days in federal prison
Graymon Ward, 20, Raleigh, North Carolina - 1 month in federal prison
Cathy Webster, 61, a peace activist and grandmother from Chico, California - 2 months in federal prison
Support those Facing Prison for Speaking Out Against the SOA
Prison witness has been a core element of the SOA Watch movement since its beginning. In the tradition of Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr., Aung San Suu Kyi and countless others, SOA Watch activists have used peaceful, nonviolent resistance to expose the horrors of the SOA/ WHINSEC and to express solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Latin America.As a result, 211 SOA Watch human rights defenders have collectively spent over 92 years in prison. Over 50 people have served probation sentences. Their sacrifice and steadfastness in the struggle for peace and justice provide an extraordinary example of love in action and have given tremendous momentum to the effort to change oppressive US foreign policy and to close the SOA/ WHINSEC.
Click here for actions to take in solidarity with those in prison and on probation.
Read the chronology of past SOA Watch prisoners of conscience.
8:00am -
The procession arrived at the Columbus U.S. Courthouse and met with the local press for a fifteen minute press conference. We heard statements from five of the 16 defendants: Joshua Harris, Cathy Webster, Martina Leforce, Alice Gerard and Don Coleman. In his statement, Joshua Harris spoke of the diverse backgrounds and inspiration of the sixteen defendants; Cathy Webster, in all her wisdom as a grandmother and peace activists reminded us of the importance of love and solidarity against all odds ; Martina Leforce spoke of the connections between the SOA/WHINSEC and the inherent injustice within the political and economical policies implemented by the U.S. government; defendant Alice Gerard's statement focused our need to defend our right to freedom of speech; the closing statement came from Don Coleman of Chicago, IL who told us the story of a family from Guatemala who was torn apart by SOA-trained military during the dirty war.
7:40am -
The SOA 16 together with friends, families and supporters began the march to the courthouse calling out the names of victims of SOA/WHINSEC sponsored violence in Latin America and responding with "Presente!".
7:30am -
This morning we gathered at the lobby of the Howard Johnson hotel on Veteran's Parkway to begin the procession to the U.S. Courthouse. Fr. Roy Bourgeoise of SOA Watch gave an emotionally-charged opening speech before initiating the march to downtown Columbus.
January 28-30, 2007 - Festival of Hope and SOA 16 Trials
Throughout the week of January 28-30 Columbus, Georgia is once again the meeting place for human rights activists from around the country. Families, friends and supporters traveled thousands of miles to accompany and share with the sixteen SOA Watch activists who will be facing trial on Monday the 29th.
- On Sunday, January 28th we gathered at the Howard Johnson’s Presidential Ballroom to celebrate the Festival of Hope. We celebrated the struggle for human rights and justice by sharing stories, anecdotes, poetry and singing songs of hope.
Former Prisoner of Conscience (POC), Ken Kennon, read a poem written during his time served in federal prison for protesting the SOA/WHINSEC. Father Roy Bourgeoise gave us an update from his recent trip to Latin America where together with Lisa Sullivan, Carlos Mauricio and Pablo Ruiz (Observadores de la Escuela de las Americas-Chile) he met with other human rights activists and government authorities in Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Nicaragua. We also had the honor of hearing Jennifer Harbury, author of “Truth, Torture and the American Way” (Beacon Press, 2005) and widow of Efrain Bamaca Velasquez, a Mayan resistance leader who was abducted, tortured and executed by Guatemalan graduates of the SOA/WHINSEC.
- On Monday, January 29, the SOA 16 will appear in federal court in Columbus to put the SOA/WHINSEC on trial.The sixteen were arrested on November 19, 2006, after carrying the protest to close the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) onto the Fort Benning Military Reservation, publicly defying the laws which prevent political speech on military bases and making a bold call for justice and accountability.
The sixteen were held at Ft. Benning and charged for "unlawful entry" by the federal court. Fifteen of the sixteen arrested were released after bail money ($500 - $1,000/per person) was posted. One person, Margaret Bryant-Ganer, opted to remain in prison, awaiting trial; she is being held at Muscogee County Jail in Columbus, Georgia. (Photo: Linda Panetta )
Read about the SOA 16 in the news.
posted by Alice at
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
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