(A picture can be worth a thousand words. And when Sound Politics readers finish reading this you'll probably add a few more choice words of your own.)
On Monday, March 5 around midnight, a group of sixty protestors attempted to block a shipment of military equipment from the Port of Tacoma to Iraq. The materiel will be used to support the Fourth Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Second Infantry Division based out of Fort Lewis.
A hodge-podge of anti-war groups staged the demonstration. One affiliate, the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace has, rather proudly, posted a video of their actions on Youtube which can be seen here. (graphic language warning)
The Tacoma Police Disorder Response Team arrived to prevent the protestors from blocking the shipment of Strykers, medic ambulances and support vehicles from being loaded. A March 5 press release boasts that activists from OMJP and affiliated groups have been "discussing ways to prevent the equipment from being loaded onto a transport ship bound for Iraq, including the use of non-violent civil disobedience."
The individual on the bullhorn is former Army Specialist Jeff Englehart who has gained some notoriety among the anti-war crowd for claiming that the United States illegally used "chemical weapons" i.e. white phosphorous incendiary rounds, on "innocent Iraqis" in Fallujah. On the video you can hear him address passing soldiers.
"Free the troops. Free the troops. Free the troops. Do not listen to your commanding officer. Do not listen to your sergeant. He's a douche bag."
Later he states "They send you into a war with inadequate equipment; inadequate body armor."
Many of the protestors appear to come from Evergreen State College. Last year OMJP staged a similar protest at the Port of Olympia.
According to the Tacoma News Tribune three protestors were arrested and their cases have been referred to the Tacoma Prosecutors Office. A fourth protestor, a woman, was scheduled to be arraigned today.
Tacoma Police tasered one protestor three times while he was resisting arrest according to a police spokesman. Another protestor was shot in the leg with a non-lethal projectile fired from a shotgun.
The protestors appear to be affiliated with Lt. Ehren Watada and were active during his court-martial case. They also advocate for the creation of a Department of Peace. Seattle Congressman Jim McDermott called for the same thing in a recent Seattle Times op-ed; no doubt advocating the same "non-violent" forms of conflict resolution displayed last Monday.
The six-minute video was posted by Evergreen faculty member Dr. Zoltan Grossman and shows a truncated view of the events. Areas of instruction offered at the state-run educational institution by Grossman include "A People's Geography of American Empire" and "Impacts of Climate Change on Pacific Rim Indigenous Nations".
Here is a three minute video filmed by another protestor who claims that Tacoma police used bikes as a weapon. (Again "graphic" language warning, etc. etc.)
Editorial opinion time: It's been my experience that these two videos pretty accurately sum up the worldview of the anti-Iraq War crowd in particular and most Democrats in general. I could be wrong but as of this writing I have not heard Congressman Adam Smith, Norm Dicks or Brian Baird condemn the actions of the protestors who are operating in their home districts. Ditto for Senator Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.
If any condemnations are issued please give me a heads up.
Posted by DonWard at March 08, 2007 01:34 PM | Email ThisHello are you not trying to stop the adequate equipment from being shipped.
Posted by: TrueSoldier on March 8, 2007 03:39 PM"Help, help, I'm being repressed." -- M. Python
Posted by: John Bailo on March 8, 2007 03:43 PMThe war was a tragic mistake and we are in a situation that for all practical purposes is unwinable. I know that pulling out will not make things better, but staying there won't either. Just because victory is desirable doesn't make it doable.
For the record I think that if we are going to be there that she should fully equip the troops and take care of them when they return (hows the supposed pro-military republicans doing on that front)
Posted by: Giffy on March 8, 2007 04:29 PMBeing "nonviolent" doesn't mean they have free reign to obstruct troop movements with no fear of retribution.
Advocating for the troops to mutiny (not listen to commanders or sergeants) plus trying to obstruct troop movements is very close to over the line. They should feel very blessed that they have the Bill of Rights that allows them to act in this manner with very little fear of substantial governmental sanctions.
Posted by: SouthernRoots on March 8, 2007 04:31 PMViewed in isolation, the protesters are silly. Viewed as part of an effort by the American people to fix our disastrous foreign policy, they are heroic.
Posted by: Bruce on March 8, 2007 04:36 PMhttp://www.theolympian.com/101/story/69326.html
Posted by: TrueSoldier on March 8, 2007 04:44 PMLet's compare apples and oranges, Giffy and Bruce. And let's not trot out coflicting polls, shall we? Your points were well understood without the percentages of a biased poll thrown in.
True Soldier, let's not get too excited. There is another story of a scumbag warlord in Afghanistan that the US is after now wanting to "negotiate". Well, we know what "negotiate" means with the Afghans, Sadr and the Pakistanis, don't we? It means the guy knows his goose is cooked so he wants to lay low like Sadr is doing in Iraq.
I just don't know why we have to fight these guys with blindfolds and hands tied behind our backs.
Posted by: swatter on March 8, 2007 05:00 PMOur own Olympia city council-person, TJ Johnson, is a prime motivator behind this group of Evergreen peacers. Abuse of office, if you ask me.
He's so full of peace, he's peaced all over Olympia, and now he and his goons are peacing on our troops in Tacoma, too. Shameful.
(And yes, I snicker whenever someone says "... Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him)".)
Posted by: starboardelm on March 8, 2007 05:12 PM> (And yes, I snicker whenever someone says "... Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him)".)
I snicker whenever anyone claims that Christianity is a religion of peace.
The Iraq war will end.
That much is certain. George W. Bush is a lame duck, too.
Posted by: David Mathews on March 8, 2007 05:32 PMaND ALL what I've heard was that a poll showed that Americans want to WIN in Iraq. So let's DO that! No pansy hands-tied-behind-back approaches.
PS---Now that the dems have said they want out by Fall of 2008, this is what came to mind:
"Dear Terrorists:
We are sorry that you've had to work so hard to try to defeat the Americans who are working to bring peace and stability in Iraq by cleaning out terrorists, building important infrastructure and helping the Iraqi people have free elections. But take heart--we are in charge now and here's the deal: Just hold on for another 18 months or so. Cuz that's when we're leaving. Got that?? So just keep doing your car and roadside bombs and suicide bombers for that long and then you can come in and brutalize the nation as you haven't been able to while we've been there. We are glad to help you plan by giving you this advance notice.
Love,
The Democrats
PS---When we say we support the troops we're just kidding. Look at the video on this post and you'll see how we REALLY feel."
Posted by: Michele on March 8, 2007 06:31 PMInteresting to observe what pushes your buttons.
The left would not support Al Qaeda's mission (destruction of Israel, end of Western civilization . . .) but would support the Al Qaeda "militants" by:
1. Celebrating their deserters and "conscientious objectors", and spitting on their loyalists.
2. Calling the militants stupid for being stuck in Irak.
3. Claiming that every US casualty was wounded or killed while attending a wedding or a funeral.
4. Protesting every shipment of arms, equipment and medical supplies sent to Al Qaeda.
5. Having a US Congressman stand up and call them all cold blooded murderers.
6. Claim that Al Qaeda's policy in Iraq is a failure, and their militants can't do the job anyway.
7. Calling for the impeachment of Osama bin Laden, and ridiculing him constantly.
And so on. I can't do it justice. It was funnier and spot on. Has anyone else seen it?
Posted by: starboardhelm on March 8, 2007 07:25 PMBut for the low-lifes who deliberately try and block vital supplies on the way to our troops in the field that have a direct impact on keeping them alive I have only one word:
Traitors.
Time to bring back public executions for the little mutants. I suggest impaling...
Posted by: M167A1 on March 8, 2007 08:21 PMThen they say, "Free the troops", as if the troops--who are there voluntarily--need to be freed.
Finally, what kind of name is Zoltan? Isn't that the cult leader in the movie, "Dude, Where's My Car?"
Posted by: Patrick on March 8, 2007 09:45 PMCan't we take channel our energy off of this local embarrasment and instead toward our national shame. Let's make sure that our government is fulfilling our obligations making sure that for each $120 million, spent on new armored vehicles, that they are spending triple that on those for whom the vehicles come a little too late?
Posted by: redkittyred on March 8, 2007 10:02 PMWhile I'm all for protesting the war, this protest was poorly executed. You would think with a $12000/year tuition it'd have more creative writing...
Finally, I think Zoltan is a Marvel comic character, Mr. Fear. Could also be from "Dude Where's My Car", can't recall. That's a movie that even stoners or Evergreen students couldn't sit through.
Posted by: redkittyred on March 8, 2007 10:30 PM"OW, You're hurting me... Ow, you're hurting me"
Sounds like that little 4 y/o who knows she's about to get her little butt whooped in the mall for being stupid, but thinks if she yells loud enough that the parent (police) won't give her the whooping that she has earned...
Ya gotta love commies
Posted by: subdoc on March 9, 2007 09:52 AM
Democrat David Obey attacks "idiot liberals" - this is great.
or will the insane liberal left expect (and legislate i'm told) to have Chinooks fly in to pick up your little stranded gerbils?
again i say---bring back the big hickory night stick!! pop some heads.
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on March 9, 2007 04:35 PMcertainly--give a soldier a gun, train him to defend our country or give a policeman precious charge of our safety & have him lay life & all on line--
then, as liberal protesters & many attorneys would have it, assign both to be librarians.
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on March 10, 2007 09:21 AMOh, now I see the rats.
You guys are brainwashed by FOX. That is how Hitler did it you know - used the mass media to convince normal regular people to kill other normal regular people - well maybe their skin is a little darker tan, or they kneel down funny when they pray, or...well... you get it. (I'm talking about the 600,00 plus innocent women, children, elderly and other non-combatants in Iraq and Afghanistan)
Still, most everybody in America knows that what we're doing over there is wrong - most of the rest of you will look back later with regret.
Meanwhile we have handful of mindful, committed citizens, who really know what Democracy means - and they know that some of the most meaningful social change in this country has come from the work of small groups, speaking the truth to Authority, and willing to get their heads cracked open with the crazy hope that what they're doing may the leave the world a little bit better for their kids.
Hoorah to these brave young souls, and bless the souls going to fight, and those on the receiving end of the killing tools we have paid for.
Posted by: Mark in Oly on March 11, 2007 03:34 PMOh, and the people hoping to leave the world a little better for their kids, are my Army brothers and sisters currently in harms way in Iraq and elsewhere overseas. Any idiot can stage a protest, pat himself on the back, and pretend to be a hero. REAL HEROES serve their country and protect it from all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Which are you?
Posted by: Sub-Odeon on March 12, 2007 07:28 AM