Greens Among Antiwar Protesters Arrested in Rep. Matsui's Office

Green Party of California
www.cagreens.org

March 25, 2007
Released Friday, March 23, 2007

Contact: Cres Vellucci, Coalition to End War, 916-996-9170 

3 Greens among 7 arrested in Rep. Matsui's office protesting the war in Iraq; Vets, others say they intend to subpoena Democratic lawmaker at their trial 

SACRAMENTO - Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, may be subpoenaed as a result of the arrest late Thursday of seven people - including five veterans and three members of the Green Party of California - at Matsui's offices here as they attempted to read the names of U.S. dead in Iraq, according to a spokesperson for the Sacramento Coalition to End the War.   

The seven were arrested for allegedly refusing to obey the orders of a federal police officer, and released on their own recognizance. The trial date has not been set. 

"Doris Matsui's decision to support legislation that continues to fund this war, and guarantees our troops in Iraq for at least another 18 months - and probably much longer - is despicable," said Cres Vellucci, the Green Party of California press secretary, Vietnam veteran and one of those arrested. 

"The democrats who voted for the bill have doomed the troops in Iraq, and all those after them, to at least 18 more months of horrific war. By voting to continue this war, they will share responsibility for thousands of U.S. deaths and injuries and an untold number of Iraqi civilians casualties," said Vellucci. "Our crime, if there was one, was attempting to talk with this democrat who claims she is opposed to the war, but because of political benefit for her party, decided to vote for war, and not peace," said Vellucci. 

He said Matsui and her staff would be subpoenaed to testify at trials of the seven arrested, because "maybe she will be more forthright in a courtroom and more respectful of veterans. She refused to meet with our Veterans for Peace group, and would have benefitted by the counsel of vets who have seen war up close," Vellucci added. 

The arrests came at the end of eight hours of reading of the names of the more than 3,200 U.S. war dead inside Matsui's office. More than 30 people participated. It was the 52nd straight day of a "peace-in" at Matsui's office - the longest occupation of its kind in the country by those opposed to the Iraq war. The "peace-in" started Jan. 8. 

Peace advocates said they want the funding bill defeated outright, or approved only if troops will begin to come back to the U.S. now and be out of Iraq before the end of the year. Matsui  refused to agree to that.