Notable anti-war activists support senior woman expected to receive jail time

WASHINGTON – Three prominent peace activists will offer their support to a 76-year-old woman this Friday, November 2, when she appears before a senior Judge of the DC Superior Court for a status hearing as a result of her engaging in civil disobedience to nonviolently protest the continued war and occupation of Iraq.

Gael Murphy of Code Pink, Rev. Lennox Yearwood of the Hip-Hop Caucus and Adam Kokesh of Iraq Veterans Against the War, will speak to the press supporting the retired D.C. schoolteacher Eve Tetaz. The Adams Morgan resident has a hearing Friday morning in D.C. Superior Court. The three prominent anti-war activists will speak to the media on behalf of their friend at 11 a.m. in front of the courthouse at 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W.

"This courageous woman has been an inspiration to us," said Rev. Yearwood. "In order to stop continued illegal and immoral warfare, more will need to follow in her steps."

Yearwood has been arrested a few times for protesting the Iraq War, including a September 10th arrest in which he was injured when six Capitol Hill Police officers tackled him outside of a House hearing room where General Petraeus was testifying. He was on crutches for several weeks after the incident.

Murphy and Kokesh have also been arrested in the past for engaging in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience during protests against the Iraq War. They have six pending charges between them. Kokesh made national news during the summer when the U.S. Marine Corps re-discharged him, as less than honorable. Murphy is a co-founder of Code Pink Women for Peace, the most visible anti-war group in Washington this year.

At 9:30 a.m., Tetaz's hearing will begin. She plans on pleading no contest to four misdemeanor charges. Within the last couple weeks, the prosecution said it would not resist a no contest plea. Tetaz maintains that she is not guilty, and if the judge accepts her plea of no lo contender, she faces immediate sentencing, which will involve jail time. In the event that the Judge refuses her plea, she will go to trial.

"The right to peacefully and non-violently petition the government is the cornerstone of democracy," Tetaz said. "I was obeying a higher law, which decries the crimes against humanity committed in Iraq."

Tetaz is the founder of Life Pathways, a non-profit organization helping single parents become financially independent and trained in the field of health care. She is a member of the Church of the Savior, and has been an advocate for the poor on issues of economics and social justice.

Who: Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Gael Murphy and Adam Kokesh speak to the media in support of their friend 76-year-old peace activist Eve Tetaz.
What: Eve Tetaz faces serious jail time due to four misdemeanor charges stemming from nonviolent protests against the Iraq War.
When: 11 a.m., Friday, November 2nd.
Where: D.C. Superior Court, 500 Indiana Avenue, NW

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