Cindy Sheehan Arrested at Capitol For T-Shirt

[RPankn]

Activist Cindy Sheehan Arrested at Capitol

By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq who reinvigorated the anti-war movement, was arrested and removed from the House gallery Tuesday night just before President Bush's State of the Union address, a police spokeswoman said.

Sheehan, who was invited to attend the speech by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., was charged with demonstrating in the Capitol building, said Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider. The charge was later changed to unlawful conduct, Schneider said. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Sheehan was taken in handcuffs from the Capitol to police headquarters a few blocks away. Her case was processed as Bush spoke.

Schneider said Sheehan had worn a T-shirt with an anti-war slogan to the speech and covered it up until she took her seat. Police warned her that such displays were not allowed, but she did not respond, the spokeswoman said.

Police handcuffed Sheehan and removed her from the gallery before Bush arrived. Sheehan was to be released on her own recognizance, Schneider said.

"I'm proud that Cindy's my guest tonight," Woolsey said in an interview before the speech. "She has made a difference in the debate to bring our troops home from Iraq."

Woolsey offered Sheehan a ticket to the speech — Gallery 5, seat 7, row A — earlier Tuesday while Sheehan was attending an "alternative state of the union" press conference by CODEPINK, a group pushing for an end to the Iraq war.

Sheehan, wrapped in a bright pink scarf against the cold, protested outside the White House with a handful of others before heading to the Capitol Tuesday evening. There were no cameras around, but the small band faced the executive mansion and repeatedly shouted, "You're evicted! Get out of our house!"

Sheehan was arrested in September with about 300 other anti-war activists in front of the White House after a weekend of protests against the war in Iraq. In August, she spent 26 days camped near Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he was spending a working vacation.


news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060201/ap_on_go_pr_wh/state_of_the_union_sheehan

[RPankn]

Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan is escorted out of the spectators' gallery of the House of Representatives prior to the State of the Union Address by US President George W. Bush on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.(AFP/Mandel Ngan)




Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan (C), whose son was killed serving as a U.S. serviceman in Iraq, is escorted by security personnel into the U.S. House of Representatives chamber for the State of the Union address by U.S. President George W. Bush on Capitol Hill in Washington January 31, 2006. Sheehan was escorted back out of the chamber a short time later and there were unconfirmed reports that she had been arrested. (Jason Reed/Reuters)




Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed serving as a U.S. serviceman in Iraq, enters the U.S. House of Representatives chamber for the State of the Union address by U.S. President George W. Bush on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 31, 2006. Sheehan was escorted back out of the chamber a short time later and there were unconfirmed reports that she had been arrested. REUTERS/Jason Reed




Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed serving as a U.S. serviceman in Iraq, talks with security personnel in the U.S. House of Representatives chamber after arriving for the State of the Union address by U.S. President George W. Bush on Capitol Hill in Washington January 31, 2006. Sheehan was escorted back out of the chamber a short time later and there were unconfirmed reports that she had been arrested. REUTERS/Jason Reed




Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan (L, blonde hair), whose son was killed serving as a U.S. serviceman in Iraq, is rushed out of the U.S. House of Representatives chamber by security personnel after arriving for the State of the Union address by U.S. President George W. Bush on Capitol Hill in Washington January 31, 2006. There were unconfirmed reports that Sheehan had been arrested. REUTERS/Jason Reed

[RPankn]

Here's the Israeli-occupied Washington Post's version.

Sheehan Arrested Before Speech

By Clarence Williams and Allan Lengel
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, February 1, 2006; Page A16

Activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested last night after demonstrating in the spectators gallery of the House of Representatives as part of a larger war protest that was held outside the Capitol.

Sheehan, who was apparently given a gallery ticket by a member of Congress, began to attract notice about 30 minutes to an hour before President Bush's State of the Union speech.

Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, opened her jacket to reveal a T-shirt that, according to a supporter, gave the number of U.S. war dead and asked, "How many more?"

She was also vocal, said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance W. Gainer, and after she ignored instructions to close her jacket and quiet down, she was led out and arrested. Demonstrating in the House gallery is prohibited. [Now look at the pictures above. Does it look like she was raising hell? The Post, like always, is just making sh*t up.]

Sheehan's sister Dede Miller told a reporter that Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey (D-Calif.) had invited Sheehan as her guest. Woolsey could not be reached immediately for comment.

Late last night, about 50 protesters marched to the Capitol Police station to demand Sheehan's release. One of them was arrested. Miller said Sheehan was being processed early this morning.

Earlier last night, a band of banner-waving antiwar demonstrators clustered outside the Capitol and took the start of Bush's speech as a cue to let loose with an ear-splitting outburst of noise.

The group gathered at the statue of Ulysses S. Grant on the west side of the Capitol grounds for the protest, which was organized under the slogan of "The World Can't Wait -- Drive Out the Bush Regime."

At the moment when a nearby TV set showed Bush beginning his address in the House chamber, the protesters responded with bongo drums, maracas and whistles.

The protesters' Web site urged participants to "Bring the Noise and Drown out Bush's lies."

As the president concluded, the noise reached a peak as protesters banged pots and pans, shouting "Bush step down, people rise up."

At one point, demonstrators sang peace anthems of an earlier day, including "Give Peace a Chance" and "All You Need Is Love."

One of the speakers at the rally before the outbreak of tumult identified himself as Bill Mitchell and said his son, Army Sgt. Mike Mitchell, was killed in Baghdad in April 2004.

"We knew this war was wrong from the beginning," he said, "and we are not going to stop speaking" until the troops are brought home.

"We are going to demand that our government bring them home. We need to bring an end to this insanity," he said as the temperature fell and the wind gusted.

A speaker identified as Ann Wright, who had served in the State Department and as an Army officer, called on the protesters to organize for this year's congressional elections as a means of stopping the war. "We've got to put some spine into people who serve us right here," she said, pointing toward the Capitol.

Staff writer Martin Weil contributed to this report.


www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/31/AR2006013101521.html

[RPankn]

For once, Reuters gets it right.

U.S. Capitol police arrest activist Sheehan

01 Feb 2006 04:46:21 GMT

Source: Reuters

(Sheehan charged with unlawful conduct because of T-shirt)

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested in the House of Representatives chamber on Tuesday shortly before President George W. Bush gave his State of the Union address because she refused to cover up an anti-war slogan on her shirt.

Sheehan, who was attending the speech as the guest of U.S. Democratic Rep. Lynn Woolsey of California, was taken from the Capitol in handcuffs and charged with unlawful conduct, said Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider.

A Reuters photographer said Sheehan entered the House gallery a few minutes before Bush was to speak and was directed to her seat. She had been seated for less than a minute when a plainclothes Capitol Police officer took her by the arm, said, "You've got to leave," and rushed her from the gallery.

Sheehan did not resist and left with a smile. Rather than hearing Bush say in his speech that there would be no sudden U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, Sheehan was being processed at the U.S. Capitol Police headquarters near the Capitol.

Schneider said Sheehan was arrested because she was wearing a T-shirt with an anti-war slogan and refused to cover it up. She said the unlawful conduct charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

Sheehan, who became a central figure for the U.S. anti-war movement after her son Casey was killed in the Iraq war, won wide attention with an anti-war vigil outside Bush's Texas ranch.

Sheehan and other activists were arrested in September for protesting outside the White House without a permit, a misdemeanor that carriers a $50 fine.


www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N31179046.htm

[RPankn]

What Really Happened.
by CindySheehan

Wed Feb 01, 2006 at 01:19:44 AM PDT

Dear Friends,

As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the Union Address tonight.

I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.

There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press. (Shocker) So this is what really happened:

This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead. How many more?

After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media and everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.

I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the undergroud tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.

My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.

I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled; "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.

The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said: "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I get hauled out of the People's House because I was, "Protesting."

I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things...I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off and arrested for "unlawful conduct."

After I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice Sgt. came in and looked at my shirt and said, "2245, huh? I just got back from there."

I told him that my son died there. That's when the enormity of my loss hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I started crying in pain.

What did Casey die for? What did the 2244 other brave young Americans die for? What are tens of thousands of them over there in harm's way for still? For this? I can't even wear a shrit that has the number of troops on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant policies are responsible for killing.

I wore the shirt to make a statement. The press knew I was going to be there and I thought every once in awhile they would show me and I would have the shirt on. I did not wear it to be disruptive, or I would have unzipped my jacket during George's speech. If I had any idea what happens to people who wear shirts that make the neocons uncomfortable that I would be arrested...maybe I would have, but I didn't.

There have already been many wild stories out there.

I have some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit against the government for what happened tonight. I will file it. It is time to take our freedoms and our country back.

I don't want to live in a country that prohibits any person, whether he/she has paid the ulitmate price for that country, from wearing, saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements about the government. That's why I am going to take my freedoms and liberties back. That's why I am not going to let Bushco take anything else away from me...or you.

I am so appreciative of the couple of hundred of protesters who came to the jail while I was locked up to show their support....we have so much potential for good...there is so much good in so many people.

Four hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let out. Again, I am so upset and sore it is hard to think straight.

Keep up the struggle...I promise you I will too.

Love and peace soon,
Cindy


www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/1/31944/23746#6

[RPankn]

CNN proving yet again it's an extension of the White House press office.

Sheehan arrested in House gallery

Wednesday, February 1, 2006; Posted: 4:16 a.m. EST (09:16 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Peace activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Tuesday in the House gallery after refusing to cover up a T-shirt bearing an anti-war slogan before President Bush's State of the Union address.

"She was asked to cover it up. She did not," said Sgt. Kimberly Schneider, U.S. Capitol Police spokeswoman, adding that Sheehan was arrested for unlawful conduct, a misdemeanor.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail, Schneider said.

Schneider said shortly after the State of the Union speech that Sheehan was still being held but should be "out sometime tonight."

An early report from a senior House official indicated that Sheehan was arrested for unfurling an anti-war banner, but that was later found not to be the case. Schneider said she didn't know what Sheehan's T-shirt said.

Sheehan, who became a vocal war opponent after her son was killed in Iraq, was an invited guest of Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-California, who has called for a withdrawal of troops in Iraq and supports legislation for the creation of a Department of Peace.

Sheehan has pestered the Bush administration since August, when she and hundreds of fellow protesters began demanding an audience with the president and camping outside his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

She also recently penned a book, "Not One More Mother's Child."

Sheehan and other relatives of troops killed in Iraq met with Bush during a visit to Fort Lewis, Washington, in April 2004, shortly after Sheehan's son was killed.

During that meeting with Bush, the president refused to look at pictures of Sheehan's son, didn't want to hear about him and "didn't even know Casey's name," she said.

The Vacaville, California, resident has said she'd like to meet with Bush again to discuss her opposition to the war.

Bush has refused to meet again with Sheehan and has taken issue with her calls for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

"She expressed her opinion; I disagree with it," Bush said in August. "I think immediate withdrawal from Iraq would be a mistake."

CNN.com's Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.


www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/31/sheehan.arrest/index.html

[Moses]

The Washington Post should be ashamed of their reporting.

[Moses]

Woolsey Statement regarding Cindy Sheehan
    By Representative Lynn Woolsey
  

    Wednesday 01 February 2006

    Washington, DC - US Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) today issued the following statement regarding Cindy Sheehan's arrest in the gallery of the House of Representatives before the State of the Union address. Mrs. Sheehan was Rep. Lynn Woolsey's guest to the President's State of the Union address.

    "Since when is free speech conditional on whether you agree with the President? Cindy Sheehan, who gave her own flesh and blood for this disastrous war, did not violate any rules of the House of Representatives. She merely wore a shirt that highlighted the human cost of the Iraq war and expressed a view different than that of the President. Free speech and the First Amendment exist to protect dissenting statements like Ms. Sheehan's last night."

    "Stifling the truth will not blind Americans to the immorality of sending young Americans to die in an unnecessary war, against a nation that posed no threat to our security. The President's speech last night was yet another attempt to distort history, as he suggested - once again - that the 9/11 terrorists came from Iraq. Everyone knows this is not true. We must not be afraid to say that the emperor has no clothes. It's time to bring our troops home."

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