Ft. Benning, GA – Meredith Aby, an anti-war leader from Minnesota, spoke out against U.S. political repression at the School of the Americas protest. Aby gave a presentation about the FBI raid on her home that happened because of her being an anti-war, Palestine and Colombia solidarity activist. 60 people attended, overflowing the room.

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression formed two years ago in response to a systematic FBI attack against anti-war and international solidarity activists. The FBI raided seven homes and the office of the Twin Cites based Anti-War Committee. 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists were subpoenaed to a federal grand jury. All 23, including Meredith Aby, resisted the undemocratic grand jury. “Yes, I have been to Palestine. Yes, I have friends who have donated food to starving Palestinian people. Is that providing material support to terrorists? I don’t think so,” stated Meredith.

Audience members asked questions ranging from her thoughts and feelings toward the FBI raids of her home, to how they personally can resist political repression by the U.S. government. “If it were not for community support,” she stated, “I would probably be sitting in a jail cell right now.”

Aby offered insight on the dirty tricks the government uses to infiltrate peoples movements – in particular a spy who lied about everything and to everyone she came into contact with. Aby noted that the big aim of the FBI is to divide people’s movements by causing fear of interaction with fellow activists. Aby said, “The way to overcome this is solidarity. There is strength in numbers, and the outpouring of solidarity with the Anti-War 23, especially with Palestinian-American activist Hatem Abudayyeh of Chicago, is overwhelming. The U.S. government and the politicians understand this.”

Aby continued, “Activists must stand together and resist the fears the government aims to put in our hearts and minds. We must resist the grand jury, like the radical heroes in the Northwest. We must organize to oppose political repression, to protect our movements and leaders. We must stand with all the Arab and Muslim people wrongly imprisoned in the U.S. by the phony war on terror, like the Holy Land Five, in prison for sending food to hungry people, for educating children and providing health care to families. We can push back the FBI and the political repression.”

For more information on the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, please visit www.stopfbi.net.

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El gobierno de los EEUU provee el presupuesto para la escuela. Por eso, los manifestantes exigieron que el gobierno la cierre. Este año, unas 3,400 personas arresgaron sus cuerpos cuando entraron ilegalmente a la base militar en un grupo masivo. Los demás ofrecieron su apoyo y apausos desde afuera.

La acción fue un proceso muy poderoso y emocionente que duró algunas horas. Ola tras ola de manifestantes cruzó a la base, mientras que se anunciaban con una voz solemna pero poderosa los nombres de latinoamericanos matados por soldados entrenados en esa misma escuela. Miles de manifestantes llevaban cruces con los nombres de los latinoamericanos matados. Con cada nombre llamado, el pueblo respondió con un grito de “¡presente!” Los que han perdido sus vidas no se olvidarán.

Un movimiento creciente

Las protestas anuales contra la SOA han crecido dramáticamente. También ha cambiado el espíritu de las protestas. Linda Jones, del comité ante-guerra de Minnesota, dijo: “Este es mi segundo año en la protesta, pero hay una diferencia entre el año pasado y este año. Y creo que una gran parte de esto es debido al nuevo movimiento de la globalización, después de las protestas en Seattle, Praga, y las convenciones de los partidos Demócrata y Republicano. El pueblo entiende que en concentrarse para cerrar la SOA, también están protestando el Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI), el Banco Mundial (BM), y todo, para crear un movimiento fuerte en contra de la política extranjera EU en general. El pueblo está creando nuevas ideas creativas para fortaceler en movimiento.”

El primer día de la protesta, unas 200 personas hicieron una obra teatral de títeres, jugando los papeles de los graduados de la SOA, tales como los dictadores latinoamericanos; el pueblo latinoamericano; y los revolucionarios que lucharon. El segundo día, los 200 titiriteros avanzaron a la base, sacrificándose en una protesta de alto riesgo que inspiró a los demás manifestantes.

La SOA existe para proteger el sistema capitalista

Algunas pancartas en la protesta decían: “Resista la SOA: Arranque el sistema global protegido por ella.” Esa lema describe el papel de la SOA en la capacitación de las fuerzas militares que respaldan el capitalismo por su represión de los latinoamericanos que se organizan para la reforma o la revolución. Los soldados en la SOA reciben instrucción en como torturar, asesinar, y chantajear, tácticas que han sido usadas en contra de miles de latinoamericanos – ciudadanos, activistas, y revolucionarios que luchan por una sociedad mejor.

La SOA y Colombia

Este se puede ver claramente en Colombia (el cual fue el enfoque de la proteste este año), donde hay 10,000 graduados de la SOA – mas que cualquier otro país – y que también tiene la peor historia de violaciones de derechos humanos en el hemisferio. En este contexto, el Presidente Clinton recientemente envió $1.3 mil millones a los cuerpos militares colombianos, los cuales están usando el dinero y las materiales de guerra de alto tecnología en su guerra civil en contra de los movimientos de liberación liderados por las FARC (las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias Colombianas) y el ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional.)

Anh Pham del Comité Ante-Guerra de Minnesota dijo: “El enfoque en Colombia era importantísimo. Fue una protesta muy poderosa cuado asistí en 1998, y ahora con el enfoque en Colombia este año sentí la urgencia de regresar para manifestar contra la capacitación de mas asesinos, e intentar detener su regreso a Colombia.”

Red de acción por Colombia se reúne y consolida su organización

Después de la protesta del primer día, 75 personas se reunieron con la Red de acción por Colombia (CAN, por sus siglos en inglés), la cual se organiza en contra de la ayuda militar a Colombia. Los comités de la CAN de Nueva York, Chicago, y Minneapolis presentaron informes de su trabajo organizativo. Los grupos de Charleston, South Carolina; Duluth, Minnesota; y otras ciudades también participaron. El próximo paso para la CAN será un día de acciones y una conferencia de fundación en la primavera de 2001. La reunión de la CAN creó una estructura para trabajar juntos después de la protesta de la SOA.

En este año nuevo el movimiento contra la intervención gringa en Colombia va a seguir creciendo junto con el movimiento para cerrar la escuela de los asesinos.

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An Iraq Moratorium protest is put on monthly in Milwaukee by SDS. Organizer Kas Schwerdfeger states, “SDS organizes all over the country to protest U.S. imperialism. The occupation of Iraq and the School of Americas are clear examples of U.S. imperialism. Students in Milwaukee are ready to help bring this message to our elected officials.”

The protest called for the immediate closure of the SOA and withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, Afghanistan and all foreign countries under U.S. occupation. The crowd of university students, veterans and community members marched and gathered for a speak-out across from the city hall. Army veteran Aaron Lloyd and Iraq war veteran Ryan Nofsinger gave testimony on their first-hand experiences. Spoken-word artist Rachel Mateson exposed the responsibility of people on all sides of this imperialist crisis.

In response to the events on Friday, first time protester and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman Christina Jirjis, said, “This was a great, unifying experience and I was encouraged by all the support for this cause that we received out there. I will definitely continue to be active towards this endeavor.”

#MilwaukeeWI #AntiwarMovement #StudentMovement #News #Americas #SchoolOfTheAmericas #SOA

Columbus, GA - Over 20,000 people from across the country flooded Fort Benning on the Nov. 22-23 weekend, calling for the School of the Americas (SOA), a U.S. military training institute that trains Latin American soldiers in ‘counter-insurgency’ techniques, to be shut down. During the vigil to honor the memory of the thousands of men, women and children that have been tortured, kidnapped and murdered by SOA graduates, six people, in an act of civil disobedience, crossed onto the military base and were arrested. They face up to six months in federal prison for taking action to close down the SOA – the ‘School of Assassins.’

Throughout the weekend, groups that organize in solidarity with Colombia emphasized the need for people in the U.S. to take action to stop the U.S. government’s support for war and repression in Colombia.

Colombia is particularly affected by both the SOA and U.S. foreign policy. Colombia sends more soldiers to the SOA than any other country. Under aid packages such as Plan Colombia, Colombia receives billions of dollars from the United States. It is no coincidence that Colombia has one of the worst human rights records in the hemisphere, with over 40 Colombian trade unionists killed this year alone.

Charla Schlueter, a member of the University of North Carolina at Asheville chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), spoke at Saturday’s rally, highlighting the ways her chapter has stood in solidarity with Colombia, such as participating in the campaign to free the Colombian political prisoner Ricardo Palmera. “SDS helped exposed Palmera’s trials to be the farce that they were,” said Schlueter. “We oppose the extradition of Colombians like Palmera to the U.S. to be put on trial. We recognize that this is a neo-colonial practice that undermines the sovereignty of Colombia and that is used as a weapon to blackmail those fighting for justice.”

Chapin Gray from Colombia Action Network spoke during Sunday’s program, urging people to join the campaign to free Lily Obando, another political prisoner from Colombia. Obando is an organizer for FENSUARGRO, the peasant workers’ union who was arrested last August by the Colombian National Police under vague charges of “rebellion.”

“Whatever chains and gags they intend to put on us, the justice of our struggle requires that we continue resisting wherever we may be,” said Gray, quoting from a letter Obando sent to U.S. activists from her jail cell in Bogata. “The bars of the jail do not matter if you, wherever you may be, help us so that our voices may move beyond the walls and not be stopped.”

Over 150 people crowded the room to attend the event called “Eye Witness Reports from the People’s Struggle in Colombia,” hosted by Fight Back! newspaper. The forum featured Meredith Aby of the Colombia Action Network speaking on behalf of Lily Obando’s release, Angela Denio of National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera and Doug Michel of SDS on his experiences meeting with Patriotic Union member Imelda Daza Cotes, who is living in exile, and his experiences meeting with the student movement in Colombia.

Each speaker emphasized the importance of giving support and solidarity to all progressive forces fighting for change in Colombia. “It is important for people to understand the FARC as an integral part of the Colombian people’s resistance to U.S. intervention in their country,” said Kosta Harlan from Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who moderated the forum. “It’s our obligation as Colombia solidarity activists to educate people here on why Colombians have taken up arms. It is a response to the murderous assaults on social movements and trade unions by Bush, U.S. corporations and the Colombian elite. The U.S. corporations seek nothing but continued exploitation of millions of workers and campesinos – and their kidnappings, disappearances and murders of social activists need to be denounced.”

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Help us shut down the School of the Americas (SOA) this November! The SOA is a U.S. tax payer funded combat training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, Georgia. Frequently called the “School of Assassins,” its graduates have left a trail of terror and suffering in every country where its graduates have returned. Over its 61 years, the SOA has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, psychological warfare, and interrogation tactics. SOA graduates have consistently used their skills to wage war against social movements and progressive communities in their own countries. Among those targeted by SOA graduates are trade unionists, human rights workers, teachers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. SOA training manuals made public in 1996 revealed that torture, extortion, and kidnapping are part of the curriculum. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been assassinated, “disappeared,” massacred, and displaced by those trained at the SOA.

Colombia has sent more troops to train at the SOA than any other Latin American country. The 1993 human rights report “State Terrorism in Colombia” issued by Pax Chirsti cites 247 Colombian officers for human rights violations. One half of those cited were SOA graduates. Some were even featured as guest speakers or instructors or included in the “Hall of Fame” after their involvement in massacres. For example, Gen. Farouk Yanine Diaz was a guest speaker at the school in 1990 and 1991 after his involvement in the 1988 Uraba massacre of 20 banana workers, the assassination of the mayor of Sabana de Torres, and the massacre of 19 businessmen. SOA graduates have been linked to some of Colombia's most heinous massacres, including in Segovia (1988) in which 43 people were killed, the Trujillo chainsaw massacres (1988-91), and Riofrio massacre (1993). The Colombian legislature even agrees that a military officer was sent to the SOA to avoid having to answer questions about the Fusagauga massacre of a campesino family.

Every November, thousands gather at Fort Benning to demand two things: the immediate closure of the School of the Americas and a drastic change in the oppressive U.S. foreign policy that the SOA represents. This year's demonstration will be held Nov 22-23. Events on Friday and Saturday include street theater, concerts, speakers, film showings, and networking opportunities. Sunday's program includes a solemn procession to the gates of Ft. Benning and a reading of names of those victimized by SOA graduates.

Join activists from the Colombia Action Network as we participate in the movement to close the SOA! We would love to see you there! More information about the SOA and the demonstration can be found at soaw.org.

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These vigils have been happening for 18 years and are a time for all those concerned with social and economic justice in Latin America to come together. On the third day of the vigil, Sunday, Nov. 18, the atmosphere was somber when the names of those people who have been killed by graduates of the institute were read.

Jeremy Miller, a member of the University of North Carolina at Asheville Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was moved during the Sunday event, saying, “All this murder and injustice that the U.S. is perpetrating in Latin America, it makes me sick, and I think specifically of the billions spent on Plan Colombia. I think it’s our duty as American people to speak out against it, like the people here are doing, and we have to show solidarity with the people of Latin America and their fight to be free from U.S. imperialism.”

Chapin Gray from the Tuscaloosa chapter of SDS, who spoke to the crowd on Sunday, later said, “SDS comes to the SOA Watch vigil see the SOA terrorist training camp shut down, but beyond that to take a stand against the U.S. government and what the multinational corporations are doing in Latin America. In our individual chapters we try to do actions in solidarity with Latin America, like our protesting Drummond coal corporation for its murders of trade unionists in Colombia. SOA, Drummond, Iraq they are all intertwined in the broader picture of U.S. imperialism. That’s what we are trying to fight against.”

This year eleven protesters aged 25 to 76 bravely crossed the barriers into Fort Benning to demand the school’s closure. Many who have done so in the past have received months-long sentences for trespassing. The police also arrested four individuals who were carrying white crosses, each having a name written on it of one of the victims of SOA graduates. The police said the crosses were beyond certain allowed dimensions and that they could have been used as ‘deadly weapons.’ They were charged with obstructing a police officer.

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Columbus, GA - Nearly 22,000 activists from around the country, gathered Nov. 17 through 20 to protest the School of the Americas (SOA) at Fort Benning, Georgia. The School of the America’s special U.S. military program has trained military personnel to use methods of torture and killing throughout Latin America for over 59 years. SOA Watch, an organization dedicated to shutting down this program of terrorism, hosted the demonstration.

The School of the Assassins, as it is frequently called, has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics, according to the SOA Watch. These troops are then sent back to their country to target union members, educators and social justice organizers. The School of the Americas was ‘closed’ in 2001 only to be renamed – but the school continues to be open and has not changed its tactics of violence and oppression.

Many Latin American solidarity organizations attended this year’s demonstration, such as the Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera. Committee members and supporters held a large banner in the middle of the street and passed out fliers condemning the U.S. justice system for kidnapping Colombian revolutionary Ricardo Palmera – an act that defies Colombian sovereignty.

This was my third time participating in the protest and, after spending two weeks in Colombia this summer, the experience was especially powerful,” says Katrina Plotz, from the Colombia Action Network. “Colombia has sent more soldiers to the SOA than any other country, and the U.S. is currently sponsoring a war against the Colombian people,” Plotz said. “I left with a renewed sense of hope that the SOA will be shut down, and a renewed commitment to stand in solidarity with the people of Latin America.”

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was also present in the large turnout of young people attending the protest. On Saturday, over 90 student organizers from 20 different campuses nationwide met for a discussion of what SDS is about, building a student movement, and how to coordinate a nationwide action.

“This was a landmark event in the history of the newly reformed SDS,” says Chapin Gray, a student organizer from SDS in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “We decided it would be a great opportunity to network with each other. We came to a unanimous decision to have March 20, the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War, as a day for students to have national coordinated anti-war demonstrations under Students for a Democratic Society. It’s a very important step in unifying SDS across the nation.”

One of the keynote speakers after the vigil was Kati Ketz, from the UNC-Asheville Socialist Unity League of SDS.

“It’s so important to build a strong, coordinated student movement in this age of imperialism,” says Ketz. She went on to explain how Colombia’s President Uribe has violently repressed student activists, yet they continue to fight back against an unjust government. “We students should take inspiration from our Colombian brothers and sisters and take all this energy we have brought here back to our campuses and get organized!”

Recently, countries such as Venezuela, Uruguay and Argentina have stated that they will no longer accept graduates from the SOA. Father Roy Bourgeois, SOA Watch’s founder, sees this as a great accomplishment and hopes that this year’s U.S. Congress will finally shut down the School of the Americas.

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The U.S. government funds and runs the School of the Americas. Protesters called on the government to shut it down. At this year's protest, about 3400 people put their bodies on the line by illegally entering the military base. Some were arrested and others were just taken off the base. Thousands who chose not to risk arrest cheered from outside Fort Benning's gates.

The action was a powerful and emotional process lasting hours, as waves of protesters crossed onto the base. The names of Latin Americans who were murdered by soldiers trained at the S.O.A. were sung out in a sorrowful but powerful voice. Thousands of demonstrators carried crosses bearing the names of murdered Latin Americans. With each name sung out, the people responded with a cry of “¡presente!” meaning that those who lost their lives would not be forgotten.

A Growing Movement

The yearly anti-S.O.A. protests have grown dramatically, and the spirit of the protest has been shifting too. Linda Jones, from the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, said, “This is my second year at the S.O.A. protest, but there was even a difference between last year and this year. And I think a big part of it is due to the new anti-globalization movement, after this year's protests in Seattle, D.C., Prague, and at the [Republican and Democrat] conventions. People understand that in gathering to shut down the S.O.A. they're also protesting the I.M.F., World Bank, everything, to create a strong movement against U.S. foreign policy in general. People are coming up with new, creative ideas to strengthen the movement.”

On the first day of the protest, about 200 demonstrators had a giant-puppet show, playing the roles of the S.O.A. and Latin American dictators, as well as the Latin American people and revolutionaries fighting back. The second day, the 200 puppeteers charged into the military base, engaging in a high-risk protest that inspired many rally participants.

School of the Americas Exists to Protect The Rich

Many of the puppeteers' signs read, “Resist S.O.A.: Uproot the Global System it Protects.” These signs describe the role that the S.O.A. plays in training the Latin American military forces which uphold capitalist domination, and repress anyone who organizes for change. U.S. corporations have long seen Latin America as their backyard.

The School of the Americas is known for its instruction in how to commit torture, execution and blackmail. These tactics have been used against thousands of Latin American citizens, activists, and revolutionaries fighting for a better society.

The S.O.A. and Colombia

The School of the Americas role in repression of the people is clearly seen in Colombia, the focus of this year's S.O.A. protest. Colombia has 10,000 S.O.A. graduates, the most of any country. It also has the worst human rights record in the hemisphere.

Clinton recently sent $1.3 billion to the Colombian military, which is using the money and high-tech equipment in their civil war against the liberation movements led by the F.A.R.C. (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the E.L.N. (National Liberation Army).

Anh Pham of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee said, “The focus on Colombia this year was really important. It was a powerful protest when I came in 1998, and with the focus on Colombia this year I felt like I had to come back and protest to stop more murderers from being trained and sent back to Colombia.”

Colombia Action Network Meets, Strengthens Network

After the first day's protest, 75 people attended a meeting of the Colombia Action Network (C.A.N.), which organizes against military aid to Colombia. Colombia Action Network committees from New York, Chicago and Minneapolis reported on their organizing, while groups from Charleston, SC, Duluth, MN, and many other cities participated. The meeting created a structure to work together after the S.O.A. protest.

The Colombia Action Network will hold a day of actions and a founding conference in the spring of 2001.

This coming year, the movement against U.S. intervention in Colombia will continue to grow along with the movement to shut down the School of Assassins.

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