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PRESS RELEASE Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Phone: 541-382-1283
(home) 541-923-7403 (home) 541-548-5131 (home)
503-812-2691
(cell) 541-350-2235 (cell) 541-420-7616 (cell) Women Arrested after 12 hours at Walden’s Office On Tuesday 3/20, six women went to Congressman Walden's Bend office to present a Resolution from their Congressional District's February Town Hall meeting, asking Walden to vote against additional appropriations for the Iraq War, to bring troops home now and to assure that the war not be extended into Iran. The Town Hall Meeting on the costs of the war was held with neither Walden nor his staff in attendance despite having been asked to set a date convenient to him. The group continued to occupy the office for almost 12 hours, awaiting in vain a commitment from Walden to vote against the upcoming supplemental appropriations bill for the War. At about 10 p.m., they were arrested for criminal trespass, booked at the Deschutes County Jail, and released close to midnight, pending upcoming court appearances. The names of those arrested are: Meg Brookover, Fran Davis, Ann Havill, Betsy Lamb, Maggie Miller and Kathy Paterno. They have court dates scheduled within the next month. The women had received no response to a request for a meeting with their Representative after following the procedure recommended by his Bend office. So they went to Walden's office by appointment to meet with his local aide and deliver petitions, testimonials and other stories that were gathered at the Town Hall. They requested a commitment from Walden to oppose the upcoming supplemental appropriations bill for the war. While waiting, they passed the time singing, praying, reading the names of U.S. and Iraqi war dead, and sharing personal stories. After closing time for the office and the building, the group was offered a conference call meeting with the Congressman in the morning, if they would leave the office immediately. The offer was declined. “He has had ample opportunity for conversation,” said Kathy Paterno. “The time to take a stand on the bill has arrived. It may come to the House floor as soon as Wednesday, and on Tuesday we’re being told he hasn’t even read it yet.” According to Betsy Lamb, “It is now time for the war to end. “The Viet Nam War only ended when Congress voted to stop funding it. The Iraq War is based on lies and has been a catastrophe since it began. What I’m here for now is to hear that my Representative will vote the voice of the nation’s majority to stop this immoral and unjust war once and for all.”
The town hall
meetings were held in four congressional districts and attended by more
than 700 rural Oregonians under the sponsorship of the statewide Rural
Organizing Project and other local groups dedicated to peace and human
dignity.
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