Anti-War Resistance in the U.S.

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Monday August 16, 2004 07:24 by Brain Terrell - Catholic Peace Ministry Iowa, USA

CIVIL LIBERTIES DEFENDED AT THE STATE FAIR

Des Moines ( activists at a previous year's sate fair protesting the presence of the Iowa National Guard - at the fair & in Iraq - defended the right of free speech at this year's fair,

Saturday, August 14, at 2 in the afternoon, nine concerned
citizens arrived at the exhibit of the Iowa National Guard at the Iowa
State Fair to protest the Guard's role in the occupation of Iraq and
the presence of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle at the exhibit. We brought
with us a large banner reading "BRING THE IOWA GUARD HOME," a sandwich
board sign and leaflets describing the Bradley Fighting Vehicleís role
in ìfriendly fireî deaths of American soldiers and the more deadly
effects that the Bradleyís depleted uranium munitions and armor has on
Iraqi civilians, American soldiers, veterans and their offspring.

The Guardís exhibit being conveniently situated next to police
headquarters, we were soon met by Des Moines City Police and State Fair
security who were apparently caught unaware of our coming, though we
had informed both the fair board and the Guard that we would be there.
In a previous telephone conversation, Sgt. Gary Waters of the Guard
told me ìthatís your rightî when I told him that the presence of the
Bradley would be met with protest. The fair board never answered a
letter I sent them with our concerns and our plans, but Kathie Swift,
spokesperson for the fair, made a statement to the press, Pointblank,
8-4-04, about me that "He has the right to protest as long as he is not
interfering."

The police told us that we were violating fair rules and could not be
there with our signs and leaflets. I told them that I had read the
rules and did not believe that we were violating them, but pointed to
the Bradley Fighting Vehicle with its cannon a few feet away and cited
the fair rule that clearly forbids weapons on the fairgrounds, spelling
out that persons found in posession of weapons would be expelled and
could face criminal prosecution. My suggestion that the police might
act on this violation of the rules was not given positive
consideration. Neither the police nor the fair security guards had a
copy of the rules that they were enforcing on hand nor did they seem
familiar with them. What we had was an obvious disagreement of
interpretation of fair rules. I had an advantage in this debate in
that I had read the rules, the police had an advantage in that they
could throw us out or arrest us, which is what they finally threatened
to do if we would not desist. When it was made it clear that some of
us, at least, would continue our protest and risk arrest, the police
retreated and came back with someone from the fair authority who told
us we could remain so long as we stayed outside the Guard exhibit.
This gave us two sides of a very small space and gave us access to
anyone entering the exhibit, so for the rest of our two hour
demonstration we complied. With Americansí rights of free speech being
whittled away to shrinking ìfree speech zones,î this tiny reversal of
an oppressive trend is a victory to celebrate.

It was a sad scene- the Bradley was open and soldiers helped kids to
climb inside, which they clearly enjoyed. My thoughts went to Iraq,
where the bombed out and highly radioactive wrecks of Bradleys and
other tanks left from the past and current war there are equally
attractive to childen and how many of these Iraqi childern have since
died or are dying now of cancer after playing in them. I asked some of
these soldiers what they knew about the Bradley. No one seemed to know
much or admit to having been trained about this weapon, but were just
there to show it off. One soldier, however, told me he knew ìall
aboutî the Bradley, that he had been to Iraq and would go again if he
could. Asked how long he served in Iraq he said ìtwo years,î an
astonishing tour of duty, considering the invasion of Iraq occured 17
months ago. This conversation ended when I told him that I had been to
Iraq and asked him where in the country he had been. Another sergeant
responsble for the Guardís recuiting laughed when told that 8,000 Gulf
War veterans have died of diseases possibly linked to depleted uranium,
"we all have to die of something!" Also on the site was another
vehicle, a 'Patriot Hummer' painted red, white and blue, fitted with a
TV screen and blaring rap videos. Clearly, this exhibit is making a
playground for kids out of a deadly weapon and any educational
component to the exhibit was what we protesters provided.

Some of the soldiers were obviously uncomfortable with their role of
pushing the war on kids at the fair and some discretely agreed with us.
The fair going public did not seem to react much to our little
protest
in this scene of sensory overload, but those who did react to us were
either effusive in their gratitude for our speaking our or just as
effusive in their anger at our daring to confront the prowar line.
Most seemed to ignore us, but those we reached were touched deeply and
reacted in kind. Dan Berrigan paraphrases Isaiah, ìjust because the
truth is not heard doesnít mean that it doesnít exist.î

The fair continues through next weekend and other demonstrations may
take place. Please join us on Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm outside the
Grand Avenue entrance to the fair. The Des Moines Catholic Worker and
others have for some months been at the STARC armory, the Iowa National
Guard headquarters in Johnston, on Wednesday afternoons holding large
photos of Iowans who have died in Iraq, reading their names and
standing in silent remembrance of these and all victims of the war.
This vigil will be moved to the Guardís exhibit at the fair this week,
from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. All are asked to meet at the Grand Ave entrance
on the West side of the Fair. Some may choose to remain outside the
gate.