6 Months imprisonment for protesting against murder

[Magda Hassan]

Human rights advocate sentenced to six months in federal prison for civil disobedience at the School of the Americas

Washington, DC resident Michael Walli was one of four human rights advocates who were arrested during the annual November Vigil to close the School of the Americas / Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/ WHINSEC). Michael Walli was sentenced on Monday, June 14, 2010 to six months in federal prison.

During his November arraignment, Michael told judge Malon Faircloth that he would not pay any bail and that he would not voluntarily return for the trial. Michael Walli made good on his promise and Faircloth issued a warrant for Michael's arrest. Federal marshals arrested Michael in March 2010 at the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House in Washington, DC.

Ken Hayes, Father Louis Vitale and Nancy Gwin, the three human rights advocates who were arrested together with Michael Walli, were each sentenced in January 2010 to six months in prison as well - the maximum allowed for the charge of tresspass. The extremely harsh sentences are intended to deter others from following the example of the 'SOAW 4.'

"Those who speak out for justice are facing prison time while SOA-trained torturers and assassins are operating with impunity," said SOA Watch founder Father Roy Bourgeois.

The SOA/WHINSEC is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers. Its graduates are consistently involved in human rights atrocities and coups, including the El Mozote Massacre in El Salvador and last year's military coup in Honduras. In 1996 the Pentagon was forced to release training manuals used at the school that advocated the use of torture, extortion and execution.

SOA Watch works to stand in solidarity with people of Latin America, to change oppressive US foreign policy, and to close the SOA/WHINSEC. In November 2010, thousands will return to the gates of Fort Benning to call for justice and accountability.

Send a message of solidarity to the prisoners:
www.SOAW.org/about-us/pocs/150-articles/3421-write-to-the-soa-watch-prisoners-of-conscience

Make plans to join the November Vigil at the gates of Fort Benning:
oaw.org/take-action/november-vigil

[Ed Jewett]

I saw this; thank you for posting it.

I think the sentence was less for the protest that the plaintiff's dismissal of the judge's authority; that kind of thing really enrages the patron. :thefinger:

I will have to pull out some juicy tidbits from my copy of James Douglass' "Resistance and Contemplation" and send them on to the prisoners, along with other things I haven't thought of yet.

This is, of course, outrageous, and is straight out of Derrick Jensen's book "Welcome to the Machine" and his beautiful discussion of the power of the state to do violence and the powerlessness of the person to do anything about it, beautifully rebutted however by Douglass' book, Lord's poster, and countless expressions of civil disobedience.

I am guessing that the best thing I could do would be to attend the next vigil.

[Magda Hassan]

I saw this; thank you for posting it.

I think the sentence was less for the protest that the plaintiff's dismissal of the judge's authority; that kind of thing really enrages the patron. :thefinger:

Oh, yes, but in a civilised world he would be lauded as a hero and not be in front of the judge/patron.

[Ed Jewett]

I used the word patron in the meaning of a more pejorative el patron, or the boss man, the plantation owner, the plutocrat at the top of the pyramid who always retains the right to haul our butts to the forefront for the administration of whatever punishment (they call it justice) he wishes to deliver... imprisonment, lashes, water-boarding, degradation, or a myriad of forms of abuse. I know what you are saying Magda, but in the world most call civilized (and I agree with your signature line), that is acceptable and lauded.