St. Pats Day: Have You Heard of the St. Patricks Four? War Resisters

[chlamor]

Resistance to the War in Iraq
Have You Heard About the St. Patrick's Four?

BILL QUIGLEY, CounterPunch

March 17, 2005

"Have you heard about the St. Patrick's Four? Of course not. They aren't going to tell you about the St. Patrick's Four. The St. Patrick's Four were four people from the Catholic peace movement who, on St. Patrick's Day last year, poured their blood around at a military recruiting station in Ithaca, New York, and they were put on trial. And the jury refused to convict. It was a hung jury. So I'm hopeful about the future of this country based on the idea that people have a certain common decency and that when they learn the truth, the truth has a power that can overcome even the most sophisticated of propaganda machines that they government has and the media collaborate with."
Howard Zinn, May 8, 2004, "The Power of the People," The Progressive, May 8, 2004. This was Zinn's speech to The Progressive's 95th Anniversary Party.


Two years ago today, March 17, 2003, four peace activists in Ithaca, New York, poured their own blood on the walls, posters, windows, and a US flag at a military recruiting center in order to try to stop the imminent invasion of Iraq. They took action based on international law. Then knelt in prayer and waited to be arrested. Though one state court jury refused to convict them, today they face serious federal charges.

<snip>

Last week the St. Patrick's Four appeared in federal court in Binghamton, New York to be charged on four federal charges arising from the exact same action.They are now charged with federal conspiracy "by force, intimidation, and threat" to impede an officer of the United States - a felony charge that carries punishment of up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine. They are also charged with criminal damage to property and two counts of trespass, charges punishable by up to an additional 2 years in prison.



In his closing argument to the first jury, Daniel Burns asked the jurors to look at the defendants' actions in context:

"The immediate context for the justice of our action is the Pre-emptive Invasion of the War of Iraq. An invasion opposed by the United Nations, opposed by most nations in this world, and founded on lies about weapons of mass destruction, and an invasion that has cost a billion dollars a day, hundreds of American sons and daughters, and thousands of our Iraqi sisters and brothers. Also we ask you to look at the justice of our action in light of the context of international law. Why was the invasion opposed by the UN and many of our allies? Because International law only allows an attack on another country in self defense or with approval of the UN security council - and we had neither. And The Nuremberg principles provide a legal defense for people seeking to prevent war crimes."

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m10471