Inside the Belly of the Beltway Beast

I knew James Lee, the one the media is calling an environmental extremist, and who walked into Discovery Channel's HQ yesterday with a gun and some explosive devices. He came to many Washington Peace Center and Code Pink protests and events, and he liked to go by his last name only. In November 2008, he posted a video of the now late William Thomas (at his 24-hour anti-nuke vigil across from the White House) in a drunken state on the Washington Peace Center's blog (at that time it was open to the public). This video certainly did not help Thomas or his wife Ellen. He also posted extremely random and outrageous posts, clearly stating that he had the answers for world peace (drastic population reduction was a central one) and all of us at the Washington Peace Center should follow his instructions. It was a bit of an ordeal. He protested the small Washington Peace Center office for three or four days with a bullhorn, and then we entered into an informal mediation with him. Not muc...

Really glad to have done this show. I think eventually Mountaintop Removal will be abolished! Special thanks to Bo Webb and everyone at Coal River Mountain Watch. NoVa Greens Talk: Ending Mountaintop Removal

I told myself I was going to write a huge blog entry on all things going on with me personally, professionally, and activism-wise. I am at the end of significant relationship and will be moving into a fun home in College Park in August. I get to keep the dog, my number one canine -- Bruno -- and my new housemates are enthusiastically welcoming him! The resident feline, however, does not seem to enthused. I think the two can still warm up to each other, and frankly I doubt Bruno even really understands all things cat. In regards to my profession, I have been studying a bit for the certified archivist exam on August 11th. Although I have been told by some that since I have a master's degree in library and information science with some archives classes (and work experience), I don't really need this certification. Personally, I think it will strengthen my candidacy as I continue to job search (which has been a long and often disappointing process). However, I am very close to land...

It was sort of a test run, but it actually is a pretty good introduction to our local political group, Northern Virginia Greens. We plan on making this a monthly 30-minute effort! An introduction the Northern Virginia Greens

First there was Shamai Leibowitz receiving the longest jail sentence in U.S. history for a whistleblower earlier this year, and now there is the case of Australian-born investigative journalist Julian Assange actively being sought by the U.S. Government -- and the arrested, but not yet charged, 22 year-old Pfc. Bradley Manning. Manning should be a hero for exposing war crimes. However, he is being treated as a dangerous criminal and held indefinitely in Iraq. According to an Internet chat with a convicted felon who subsequently betrayed him, Manning explained why he allegedly gave whistleblower site WikiLeaks two massacre videos (the first released, the second coming very soon) and reportedly 260,000 diplomatic cables: "I want people to see the truth… regardless of who they are, because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public." This is evolving into a fascinating case of freedom of the press, and the right of the people to information in a democrac...

May we all take up the cause as Steve did, and perhaps more importantly in the *manner* that he did. I spoke with Steve by phone a week before he passed. He was in a whole lot of pain and the drugs were not helping. I forced back tears, as I was talking with him. The conversation was too brief, as was the time I knew this great guy. As I ended the conversation, I said "Steve, you know what? There's a whole lot of us in D.C. who love you." He just responded that he loved all of us, as well. I had been arrested with Steve a handful of times, as we resisted the empire's wars and its unjust detaining and mistreatment fellow human beings. He always arrived in DC with a smile and open arms for a hug and a kind word, or two, or three. Steve never had an unkind word for anyone. He became very involved with the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance over the last four years, and that's how I got to know him better.He always provided this wonderful source of positive e...

Anti-War Group Peace of the Action led by Cindy Sheehan Refuses to Leave and Will Expand Anti-War Encampment, Camp OUT NOW, While Permit Runs Out Press Contacts Robby Diesu 631-241-5966 robby@peaceoftheaction.org DC Coordinator Polly Miller 202-595-5892 polly@peaceoftheaction.org DC Coordinator www.peaceoftheaction.org Monday, March 22nd at 11:30 am Camp OUT NOW (between 15th and 17th on Constitution NW) parking is available on Constitution. Cindy Sheehan has spent the weekend in jail and will be arraigned on Monday. Directly following her arraignment she will join with fellow members of Peace of the Action, and follow through on the plans to continue the camp after the permit runs out. The group is planning on staying in there current location, between 15th and 17th on Constitution NW, and from there moving to directly in front of the White House (Lafayette Park side) after the police force the shut down at their current location. The group will continue their encampment until the...

Peace of the Action swung into action today, setting up Camp Out Now. Cindy Sheehan, who I am quite happy to have gotten to know, has no plans of leaving until the War OF Terror begins to end. Please stop by and visit Peace of the Action on the north side of the Washington Monument. Hard to miss, as the tents are directly across Constitution Avenue from the back of the White House. This morning as we were setting up camp, we did a sun dance with some drumming, the rain stopped, Ann Wright joined us, and Obama flew over in his helicopter -- Cindy was the first one to react waving the peace sign! Weather should improve during the week, and there will probably be more chances to interact with the president. Reports coming from camp this evening is that more tents have been set up next to the larger communal tent and the police are not happy with this. We shall see how this plays out. From CNN's Shannan Adler Washington (CNN) - Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, who became a household na...

The first meeting of the now revitalized Greens Party of Fairfax County was held yesterday at the Oakton Public Library. I am glad to be working with Green veterans Jim Lowenstern and Paul Hughes. Jim has run for House of Delegates in the past. Paul started the meeting with a presentation on corporate personhood, which has again become a hot topic in light of the Supreme Court's disastrous decision stating that money equaled free speech and that corporations are entitled to the same First Amendment rights that we as human citizens of the U.S. enjoy. We had a larger turnout than expected at this meeting. A couple Greens moving to the area from other states, and three folks who are new to the Green Party but expressed an interest in becoming involved. I truly believe we can make a difference on the local level, and I hope more progressives will become actively involved in their own communities. Our next meeting in March will continue where we left off in deciding which local issues w...

I promised myself I would write this for a while now. Dissatisfied with the pace of change and lack of cohesion and supportive community within the peace and justice movement, I decided to return to my own life and focus on building my career and having a good life with my partner. I knew I would be taking a long break from activism and organizing before I even went to jail (Dec. 18-21), but my time in there simply confirmed this in my own mind. I realized that leaving this "movement" was the right thing, but at the same time I was annoyed that people I cared for were sacrificing a great deal more than 98% of the rest of the peace and justice movement, and were getting precious little support. I wanted to make a point about this. This fact exposes a major injustice. I also was not getting hardly any support for my own ordeal. Furthermore, a few I had considered good friends had already turned against me. They were angry that I would challenge them, and be so completely honest...

Lindsay is a great young Catholic Worker. She has already impressed me with her always cheerful demeanor, and quiet and strong spirituality. I thank her for this powerful letter, which reminds me what it's all about. Lindsay Hagerman , New York, NY Friday, January 15, 2010: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday Dear Roman, Simone, Greg, Phil, David, and the rest of the people who shared a table with me at John Yoo's talk this afternoon: I wish I had enough foresight to hand you a note when I left our table. Since I did not, I am left to pray that this letter reaches each of you. This afternoon at twelve o'clock, I joined your table in the center of the banquet room for John Yoo's book signing and luncheon/talk. We chatted for about a half an hour until the speaking began. Soon after John began to speak, my friend Bob stood up by his table behind us. Some of you looked back and saw him standing silently with a black hood over his head, holding a sign that read ...

Do you agree with these? Ecological Wisdom Whatever we do to the web of life, we do to ourselves. We advocate stewardship of our resources for the continued health of our communities and our planet. Social Justice Everyone should share in the fruits of our society regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, class, age, or disability. We work for a world in which all can live free of fear and discrimination Grassroots Democracy Citizens have the right and responsibility to participate in the environmental, political, and economic decisions that affect their lives. Nonviolence We reject violence at all levels of society, from the family to the nation. We promote peace by working for justice and by advocating non-violent resolution to conflict. Decentralization Concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the few contributes to social and economic injustice as well as environmental destruction. We call for the return of local decision-making so individuals and communities may act...

By Jean Athey Gaza Freedom March Fourth Letter: December 31, 2009 Over 1300 people came to Cairo this week from all over the world, hoping to join Palestinians today in a nonviolent Gaza Freedom March to end the blockade. Since we were prohibited from going to Gaza, we decided to march in Cairo today instead. We hoped to step off at 10 a.m., the same time as the march in Gaza was to begin. Many people managed to make it to the location selected for the march—near the Egyptian Museum-- but they were quickly and forcibly removed from the street; a few were injured and some had their cameras destroyed. Once off the street and onto the sidewalk, protesters were surrounded by riot police, and there they remained all day. I was one of those who didn’t manage to get to the march. Egyptian police surrounded the Lotus Hotel early this morning, where many people are staying, including me, and they prevented us from leaving. The government also cut off Internet access to the hotel. We were able ...

A week ago, I was spending my third and last night in DC Jail. A loud, violent and cruel place. A place populated by young black men, as a white inmate I was an extreme minority. And as a gay white man of somewhat slight build, I elected to get the protective custody order from Judge Lynn Liebovitz upon my sentencing. My sentencing, in retrospect was not that severe, and this is because my pre-sentencing officer had recommended probation and I admitted that my days of being arrested for expressing my moral and ethical beliefs (which put me in complete opposition to the U.S. Government’s foreign policy) were over. Perhaps someday, when I am retired and close to my friend Eve Tetaz’s age I may resume nonviolent civil resistance against the moral bankruptcy and downright evil policies of the U.S. Empire, but for now I choose a different life for my lifetime partner and myself. Many of you have expressed an interest in discussing my experiences further, and I am open to accepting questions...

Hello blog-readers! I have not written here for a while. These are tough economic times, and Matthew and are trying to cope with them on a very personal level. I continue to job search for something full-time with a decent salary, but I am glad to have returned to CCHS for now. My own circumstances and feelings about the state of things in our country has lead me to decide to basically quit being an activist-organizer (for free) within the peace and justice movement. Those who continue to carry a lionshare of the load for this movement have my respect. I do not regret any of my actions for peace and justice, but I realize now is the time to start a new chapter in my life. Here is my sentencing statement in the Kerry case involving Ellen, Eve and myself: Good morning Judge Liebowitz. On May 21st, Eve Tetaz, Ellen Barfield, Steve Mihalis and I spoke during a senate foreign relations committee hearing. We provided public testimony. Public witness. Nothing more. Nothing less. We believe it...

Anti-war protestors prosecuted by government Contact: Ellen Barfield, 410-243-5876; Pete Perry, 202-631-0974 October 11, 2009 WASHINGTON – Three nonviolent anti-war activists go on trial Tuesday, October 13 for an action in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on May 21 of this year. Ellen Barfield of Baltimore, Eve Tetaz of Washington, DC, and Pete Perry of Fairfax, Virginia will argue their case before a jury of their peers. The three are charged with Disruption of Congress. The trial will be presided over by Judge Lynn Leibovitz in courtroom 310 of the H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse. “We were expressing our dissent to the costly and tragic war in Afghanistan,” Perry said. “This is a war based on revenge that has now clearly lost the support of a majority of Americans.” Barfield is a military veteran, Tetaz is a retired DC public schoolteacher, and Perry was instrumental in organizing last week's protest against the Afghanistan War in Washington.

News Release: Non-Violent Peace Demonstrators Brutalized by Secret Service at White House Today FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kevin Martin, 301-537-8244 (mobile) Paul Kawika Martin, 951-217-7285 (mobile) BY SECRET SERVICE AT WHITE HOUSE TODAY Activists had sought a meeting with the Obama Administration to urge an end to the war in Afghanistan Washington, D.C. – Twenty-three non-violent peace activists calling for an end to the US war in Afghanistan were violently pushed and dragged away from a White House gate by Secret Service officers this afternoon. The activists, participating in a larger demonstration of over 300 people organized by the National Campaign for Non-Violent Resistance, had sent a letter to President Obama last month requesting a meeting today to discuss their opposition to the war. After a non-violent “die-in” at the White House gate, the peace activists waited for over three hours while various police departments, including the Washington, DC Metro Police, Park Po...

4 women arrested at Vt. Yankee By SUSAN SMALLHEER Rutland HErald Staff - Published: September 29, 2009 VERNON - Four elderly women living downwind of the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor were arrested Monday afternoon when they walked through the first two security gates at the Vernon reactor and sat down on folding chairs, blocking entry to the plant. The four women, members of the Vermont Yankee Shut It Down Affinity Group, are no strangers to Vermont Yankee protests, and each said they had been arrested multiple times outside the Entergy Nuclear corporate headquarters in North Brattleboro but never prosecuted. Entergy Nuclear officials said that the response by the plant's security forces Monday afternoon went well and denied that security had been breached. But the women, wearing tie-dye t-shirts and carrying folding stools and signs, ignored the entreaties of the armed guard at the guardhouse, marched right past him through the second chain-link gate and then sat down with thei...

Anti-war groups demand end to Afghan War, demonstrate at the White House For Immediate Release Sept. 27, 2009 Contact: Pete Perry, 202-631-0974; Gael Murphy, 202-412-6700 Washington – Disappointed with President Obama’s unwillingness to significantly change course from the Bush administration in Afghanistan, and alarmed by the recent troop build-up there, national anti-war groups will be joining together October 5th in a day of nonviolent direct action, during the week the Afghanistan War begins its ninth year. The coalition includes the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, Code Pink, Peace Action, the Black is Back Coalition, Progressive Democrats of America, the War Resisters League, the Washington Peace Center, World Can’t Wait, Veterans for Peace, and Voices for Creative Nonviolence. Joining them will be Cindy Sheehan, the mother of Casey Sheehan, a soldier killed in Iraq in 2004. The White House action — the first such protest aimed specifically at the war in Afgh...

Dear Friends, 10/5 will be a great day and will mark a key step in the revival of the anti-war movement, post Obama-mania. Altogether we are at approximately 100 people signed up to risk arrest. As decided on the last conference call, we will have one final planning call before the Oct. 5 action. As Frida noted, we need to talk about media. Are there other specific things that people want added to the agenda? If so, please forward to me. Here is the tentative program for the rally in McPherson Square: MC Welcome and Intro (5 minutes) Poet 1 (one poem) (3 minutes) Song by Emma's Revolution (5 minutes) Poet 2 (one poem) (3 minutes) Elizabeth McAlister (10 minutes) Song by Emma's Revolution (5 minutes) Black is Back Spokesperson (10 minutes) Max Obuzsewski -Closing Remarks (5 minutes) Song by Emma's Revolution (5 minutes) I will make up the agenda and get it out along with a reminder early next week... In peace and resistance, Pete