School of the Americas Protest Rally

I receive email updates from Faith Communities Uniting for Peace in central Ohio. At this point, there is no web site for the organization, so that "post an excerpt and a link for the rest" practice often doesn't work. But I did want to share a bit of this update, especially since it ties in with Catreona's post from last weekend. The subject of today's email was "Cleveland woman arrested for SOA protest"

I will include an excerpt here, and if you would like the whole thing, you can email me at howardempowered at gmail.com and I will forward it to you.

The Cleveland InterReligious Task Force on Central America (IRTF) took 2 buses to the annual Vigil to Close the SOA at Ft. Benning, Georgia, including students, faculty and Ursuline Sisters from Ursuline College and students and teachers from St Joseph Academy and St Edward High School. Other school delegations included Kent State University, Walsh University, Walsh Jesuit High School, John Carroll University and Wooster College.

Laura Harrison and David Treska went to support their grandmother, Priscilla Treksa, who trespassed onto the Army base in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience. Priscilla and 40 others face federal trespassing charges and will likely go to trial in late January. Priscilla, refusing to post bail, is awaiting arraignment, and then will likely await trial in the Muscogee County jail. Her son Andrew, also along in support, calls his mom “a strong woman. I think she’s wonderful.”

This page has pictures from last weekend's rally. And here is the School of the Americas Watch home page.

"Nonviolence is not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak... Nonviolence is hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is the patience to win." - Cesar Chavez


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