Cindy Sheehan: "I was arrested before the State of the Union Address"
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/1/31944/23746#6
What Really Happened
by Cindy Sheehan
Wed Feb 01, 2006 at 01:19:44 AM PDT
Dear Friends,
As most of youI was arrested before the State of
the Union Address have probably heard, tonight.
I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we
have lost in our country.
There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press.
(Shocker) So this is what really happened:
This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC where I
was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead. How many more?
After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about
going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I
knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the
ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in
fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans
Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media and
everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.
I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara
Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we
went to the Capitol via the undergroud tunnel. I went through security
once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.
My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person
who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.
I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs
back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right
to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled;
"Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and
roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said
something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his
name is Mike Weight.
The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out
of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me
outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said,
"That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said:
"Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful
when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because
you were protesting." Wow, I get hauled out of the People's House
because I was, "Protesting."
I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I
was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been
asked to do any of those things...I would have, and written about the
suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and
roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off
and arrested for "unlawful conduct."
After I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice
Sgt. came in and looked at my shirt and said, "2245, huh? I just got
back from there."
I told him that my son died there. That's when the enormity of my loss
hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I
have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I started
crying in pain.
What did Casey die for? What did the 2244 other brave young Americans
die for? What are tens of thousands of them over there in harm's way for
still? For this? I can't even wear a shirt that has the number of troops
on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant policies are
responsible for killing.
I wore the shirt to make a statement. The press knew I was going to be
there and I thought every once in awhile they would show me and I would
have the shirt on. I did not wear it to be disruptive, or I would have
unzipped my jacket during George's speech. If I had any idea what
happens to people who wear shirts that make the neocons uncomfortable
that I would be arrested...maybe I would have, but I didn't.
There have already been many wild stories out there.
I have some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit
against the government for what happened tonight. I will file it. It is
time to take our freedoms and our country back.
I don't want to live in a country that prohibits any person, whether
he/she has paid the ultimate price for that country, from wearing,
saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements about the
government. That's why I am going to take my freedoms and liberties
back. That's why I am not going to let Bushco take anything else away
from me...or you.
I am so appreciative of the couple of hundred of protesters who came to
the jail while I was locked up to show their support....we have so much
potential for good...there is so much good in so many people.
Four hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let out. Again, I am
so upset and sore it is hard to think straight.
Keep up the struggle...I promise you I will too.
Love and peace soon,
Cindy
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.~ Margaret Mead
Informant: Hopedance
--------
From the Los Angeles Times
Sheehan Removed From House Chamber Before Speech
From Associated Press
6:20 PM PST, January 31, 2006
Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq who reinvigorated the anti-war movement, was taken into custody by police in the House gallery tonight just before President Bush's State of the Union address.
Police escorted Sheehan from the visitors' gallery above the House chamber after causing a disruption, said a Capitol Police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the incident were sketchy.
Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., had invited Sheehan to the address as her guest.
"I'm proud that Cindy's my guest tonight," Woolsey said in an interview before the speech. "She has made a difference in the debate to bring our troops home from Iraq."
Woolsey offered Sheehan a ticket to the speech -- Gallery 5, seat 7, row A -- earlier Tuesday while Sheehan was attending an "alternative state of the union" press conference by CODEPINK, a group promoting the end of the Iraq war.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-013106sheehan_wr,0,1887102.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Informant: John Calvert
--------
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 04:44:52 -0600
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11120353/
msnbc live vote on Cindy Sheehan arrest - GO VOTE
Informant: DitziSis
--------
Cindy Sheehan got as much press coverage as Bush on the State of the Union
Send E-mails to US Troops in Iraq
Here the current page http://www.anyservicemember.org/cgi-bin/uscg/guestbook.cgi?postingform&pid=2262
Stop and think about it? Our Cindy got as much press coverage as Bush on the State of the Union Speech!
Informant: ranger116
What Really Happened
by Cindy Sheehan
Wed Feb 01, 2006 at 01:19:44 AM PDT
Dear Friends,
As most of youI was arrested before the State of
the Union Address have probably heard, tonight.
I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we
have lost in our country.
There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press.
(Shocker) So this is what really happened:
This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC where I
was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead. How many more?
After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about
going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I
knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the
ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in
fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans
Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media and
everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.
I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara
Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we
went to the Capitol via the undergroud tunnel. I went through security
once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.
My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person
who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.
I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs
back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right
to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled;
"Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and
roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said
something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his
name is Mike Weight.
The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out
of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me
outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said,
"That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said:
"Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful
when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because
you were protesting." Wow, I get hauled out of the People's House
because I was, "Protesting."
I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I
was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been
asked to do any of those things...I would have, and written about the
suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and
roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off
and arrested for "unlawful conduct."
After I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice
Sgt. came in and looked at my shirt and said, "2245, huh? I just got
back from there."
I told him that my son died there. That's when the enormity of my loss
hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I
have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I started
crying in pain.
What did Casey die for? What did the 2244 other brave young Americans
die for? What are tens of thousands of them over there in harm's way for
still? For this? I can't even wear a shirt that has the number of troops
on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant policies are
responsible for killing.
I wore the shirt to make a statement. The press knew I was going to be
there and I thought every once in awhile they would show me and I would
have the shirt on. I did not wear it to be disruptive, or I would have
unzipped my jacket during George's speech. If I had any idea what
happens to people who wear shirts that make the neocons uncomfortable
that I would be arrested...maybe I would have, but I didn't.
There have already been many wild stories out there.
I have some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit
against the government for what happened tonight. I will file it. It is
time to take our freedoms and our country back.
I don't want to live in a country that prohibits any person, whether
he/she has paid the ultimate price for that country, from wearing,
saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements about the
government. That's why I am going to take my freedoms and liberties
back. That's why I am not going to let Bushco take anything else away
from me...or you.
I am so appreciative of the couple of hundred of protesters who came to
the jail while I was locked up to show their support....we have so much
potential for good...there is so much good in so many people.
Four hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let out. Again, I am
so upset and sore it is hard to think straight.
Keep up the struggle...I promise you I will too.
Love and peace soon,
Cindy
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.~ Margaret Mead
Informant: Hopedance
--------
From the Los Angeles Times
Sheehan Removed From House Chamber Before Speech
From Associated Press
6:20 PM PST, January 31, 2006
Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq who reinvigorated the anti-war movement, was taken into custody by police in the House gallery tonight just before President Bush's State of the Union address.
Police escorted Sheehan from the visitors' gallery above the House chamber after causing a disruption, said a Capitol Police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the incident were sketchy.
Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., had invited Sheehan to the address as her guest.
"I'm proud that Cindy's my guest tonight," Woolsey said in an interview before the speech. "She has made a difference in the debate to bring our troops home from Iraq."
Woolsey offered Sheehan a ticket to the speech -- Gallery 5, seat 7, row A -- earlier Tuesday while Sheehan was attending an "alternative state of the union" press conference by CODEPINK, a group promoting the end of the Iraq war.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-013106sheehan_wr,0,1887102.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Informant: John Calvert
--------
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 04:44:52 -0600
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11120353/
msnbc live vote on Cindy Sheehan arrest - GO VOTE
Informant: DitziSis
--------
Cindy Sheehan got as much press coverage as Bush on the State of the Union
Send E-mails to US Troops in Iraq
Here the current page http://www.anyservicemember.org/cgi-bin/uscg/guestbook.cgi?postingform&pid=2262
Stop and think about it? Our Cindy got as much press coverage as Bush on the State of the Union Speech!
Informant: ranger116
rudkla - 1. Feb, 11:51
