Anti-war veterans unfurl 'Arrest Bush/Cheney' banner at National Archives

At 7:30 a.m. this morning, they climbed a nine-foot fence to occupy a 35-foot-high ledge at the National Archives.

And five members of the Veterans for Peace organization have been there ever since. They say they're veterans of Vietnam and Iraq, anti-war activists, and soldiers for a cause who plan to fast for 24 hours in protest of the Bush administration.

Seeking the criminal prosecution of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, the organization distributed "Citizens' Arrest Warrants" to tourists waiting in line to enter the archives, which houses the key documents of U.S. history: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

In a press release, the group described the reasons for its protest:

Bush and Cheney’s serial abuse of the law of the land clearly marks them as domestic enemies of the Constitution. They have illegally invaded and occupied Iraq, deliberately destroyed civilian infrastructure, authorized torture, and unlawfully detained prisoners.  These actions clearly mark them as war criminals. Accountability extends beyond impeachment to prosecution for war crimes even after their terms of office expire....

We are not conducting ourselves in a disorderly manner; our action is well-ordered and well-considered.  We are not trespassing; we have come to the home of our Constitution to honor our oath to defend it.

So far, authorities have not interfered with the peaceful protest or the sign.

Yes, there's a sign. A 22-foot-by-x8-foot banner draped across the Constitution Avenue side of the archives  says, “DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION.  ARREST BUSH AND CHENEY: WAR CRIMINALS!”

Here's the video.

 

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Veterans for Peace

Comments

[J. Ruggiero]

Hurray for our veterans. I support you 100%. We need to follow the example of our courageous veterans and begin a process of peaceful descent against the criminals that run this country. If their friends in the White House refuse to hold them accountable, the PEOPLE must descent.

[heather wilcoxon]

yes!!! I totally agree that both Bush and Cheney must be accountable for what they have done to our country and its constitution. For them to walk away leaving this country in shambles is beyond word!!!.We may never recover from their poor judgment and greed.

[Mary]

The courage of VFP is always amazing, but not unexpected. They are awesome, dedicated, and the true patriots of America.

[JC]

No Like Bush. Yuk.

[Jane]

Go Fellas! Aussie's are behind you 100%.... arrest those who violate international sanctions!
Jane Queensland

[Andrew Wang]

Bush is the worst president in American history. Bush facilitated the 9/11 attacks. Subsequently, Bush lied to Congress and the American people relative to the reasons for invading Iraq. Bush purposefully misled Congress and the American people. Then, Bush murdered more than 4,000 United States service members. And Bush wounded more than 30,000 United States service members. In torturing prisoners of war, Bush patently violated the Geneva Convention. Bush unlawfully wiretapped United States citizens. In using “signing statements” to challenge hundreds of laws passed by Congress, Bush violated the Constitution. Bush has ignored global warming. Bush is guilty of criminal negligence relative to the response to Hurricane Katrina. Bush disobeys our democratic values and Constitution. Bush is a disgrace to the United States.

Indeed, Bush should be prosecuted for war crimes.

Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA

[Charlie Jackson]

Let's here it for REAL Americans!

[Craig Gingold]

As far as I'm concerned, these folks are the REAL war heroes -- not the likes of John McCain. But as usual, the mainstream media are ignoring this protest. So Thanks! to Johanna Neuman for taking the initiative to post this story here on the LA Times website. But the fact remains, hardly any LA Times readers are gonna see this, unless it actually runs in the print version.

[gordon soderberg]

We need to get veterans groups like Veterans For Peace and Iraq Veterans Against War into disaster relief and alternative engery GREEN JOBS FOR VETERANS!

[amy]

FIRE CONGRESS! IMPEACH CONGRESS!

[Tobias Hurwitz]

Bravo! I wish more Americans had the guts to stand up like this and I wish more stations had the integrity cover it. Let's start with impeachment, then move on to prosecution. It's about time for these criminals to pay for their outragous actions!

[rxgary]

why not use their interrogation laws against them, arrest them and hold hourly lotteries for a chance to interrogate members of the bush admin on ppv tv. in 20 oe 30 years when enough lottery money is made to pay off all of their debts incurred we can reconsider what to do with them then

[Kat]

Thank you, VFP.
You are doing what Congress will not.
Hold them accountable!

[serr8d]

God, what a bunch of idiots you posters are.

Andrew Wang, you do Messiah College a disservice by mentioning them after your unhinged spew. Your 'messiah' is a 'community organizer', no? So was Pol Pot, a 'community organizer'.

These vets can do as they like. But know this: they are outnumbered by millions of vets who think differently.

These are the 'John Kerry' vets.

'Nuff said.

[Victor madeson]

By attempting to authorize "emergency powers" and other allegiance to the president, Congress has engaged in sedition. Unlike the Weimar Constitution of 1933 Germany, ours has no provision for such empowerment so it required a formal Amendment that they tried bypass with the two Patriot Acts. Their violations of US Code XVIII, Sections 2384 & 2387 require the filing of criminal complaints against those who tried to switch the allegiance of public officials and the military from the Constitution and Country to the president (or his corporate cronies). In blatant violation if Article VI of the Constitution they have also ignored the president's violations of more than a dozen international treaties, making themselves liable under US Code XVIII, Section 2441 (War Crimes). Baron Koki Hirota was hanged for a similar dereliction of duty. "Country, Honor, Duty!" (the reverse is brainwashing).

[AK]

Bravo, Bravo!

[Carol Brouillet]

If Congress continues to support the criminal behavior of the Executive Branch- and approve the biggest financial heist in history, our government will lose all legitimacy in the eyes of the world. If the press tries to prop up this failed regime, instead of exposing their lies and assaults upon our country, the world, the Constitution, then it, too will lose it's credibility utterly. I'm glad the LA Times at least mentioned this protest, but for the most part the press has been woefully silent, fawning, supportive, all these years. We were demanding pre-emptive impeachment before the Iraq War- when the crimes and cover-up of 9/11 were not even being questioned by the media.

The whole war on terrorism is a fraud. The latest NIST Report says that normal fires for the first time in history brought down WTC7 on 9/11, a 47 storey steel framed skyscraper, that the 9/11 Commission omitted entirely from its tortured confession based, ideologicaly driven, deceptive report.

If the LA Times simply relayed the basic facts detailing the lies and crimes of the Administration, Congress could have/should have/would have impeached them long ago.

The country's only chance of redemption is truth, courage, impeachment, and redirecting our national and international never-ending war policies towards healing relationships within this country, between all peoples and planet.

Carol Brouillet

[beakmur]

"Your mission objectives: 1) Start a war that inflames billions of Muslims against America, 2) Methodically burn down the most robust economy the world has ever known, 3) Treat the American constitution like toilet paper..." Osama bin Laden briefs two Al Qaeda agents codenamed Bush and Cheney.

[Katherine N. Allen]

Way to go! So sad, though, that the same people who ride around with stickers on their cars reading "Support Our Troops" will be first ones to try and tear this banner down!

[Ewan Mee]

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!!!!!

[candice]

Well you cant take it all out on Bush...You have to Impeach Congress to!!!!!!!!

And who is better?Obama, I mean seriously...A guy who doesn't even care about his country!,,,He is on a power trip.And thats not good either.
Obama doesn't respect the country so he is not going to help anyone either!!!!!!! Just because he is removing troops does not make him right for this country.We need a leader that has respect for the country and the people in it.We also need a leader who is concerned with what is happening in this country unlike Mr.Obama who wants to send some of our tax dollars to other countries......I understand that people are upset but to some point they have to rationalize.Reality has to sink in.

[candice]

Jane,You are a total Idiot! You really need to go get educated because there was an attack with al-quada before Bush was even in office.Go learn something.Whether you like Bush or not,he did not plan the 9/11 attacks.You are an idiot!

[john]

this was predicted by the web bots!

[AmericanVoice]

A 1992 video featuring a Republican senator, Republican congressman and top Capitol Hill staffers who worked on Vietnam prisoner of war and missing in action issues say John McCain collaborated with North Vietnamese while a POW, and then covered up that involvement to the detriment of POW/MIA families seeking access to classified Pentagon records about their own family members.

All, I have to say is if this is the man that the American voting public wants to put into office, then your open minds aren't so open to the truth...so what does that say about you??

Most important, they also believe, as expressed so well in the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs final report, that "the single most basic principle of personal honor in America's armed forces is NEVER WILLINGLY TO LEAVE A FELLOW SERVICEMAN BEHIND.

So there it is. John McCain is yet another Republican former Military Veteran who likes to talk a big game when it comes to having the support of the military. Yet, time and time again, he has gone out of his way to vote against the needs of those who are serving in our military. If he can’t even see his way to actually doing what the troops want, or what the veterans need, and he doesn’t have the support of veterans, then how can he be a credible commander in chief?

This Coward won't be getting my Veteran Vote!

http://www.alternet.org/story/99663/

http://aiipowmia.com/testimony/hrdlicka1.html

http://aiipowmia.com/testimony/benge910tst.html

http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/mccain_vets.cfm

[Robert Anderson]

Nice to see that some of our veterans care about our Constitution. Too bad Congress is populated by those who would rather appease Bush and Cheney than investigate their criminal activities. They can't even vote on contempt charges for Carl Rove and others who believe they are above the law.

These vets apparently take their oath to defend the Constitution seriously. God belss them.