Greens, activists press House Democrats on Iraq War, get arrested

Green Party of California
www.cagreens.org

Contacts: Dr. Robert Vizzard, spokesperson, 916.206 8953, thevizz@earthlink.net 
Susan King, spokesperson, 415.823-5524 funking@mindspring.com 
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Sara Amir, spokesperson, 310.270-7106 saraamir@earthlink.net 

August 17, 2007
Originally released August 14, 2007

Democratic members of House pressed by Greens, others in their home districts to sign pledge to stop funding the war; Lawmakers refuse, arrest visitors

SACRAMENTO -- California Greens this week continued to help anti-war activists pressure state Democratic Party congressional lawmakers to make good on election year promises to bring state military personnel home by ending the Iraq War, but who so far continue to fund the war instead of stop it.

All across the state this week, as House members return home to their districts during the Congressional break, those opposed to the war are visiting offices of Democrats, demanding they not vote to further war funding in September. Instead of a sympathetic year, people opposed to the war are being arrested.

"The death toll in Iraq, for U.S. and Iraqi civilians, continues to climb and all Democrats can do is claim to be opposed to the it, while funding it," said Daniel Brezenoff, Green Party in the 37th District Special Election. He added that the Green Party opposed the Iraq War since before it began, unlike the Democratic and Republican parties.

Greens were among those at a demonstration last week at the offices of Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Santa Ana) in Garden Grove. Six people were arrested at the protest after Sanchez refused to sign a pledge to not further fund the war. Sanchez - after saying she was opposed to the war - said she would still vote for more defense monies for the war because there was $2.1 billion for California to build the C-17 Globemaster, a military aircraft.

Tuesday, Greens were among those who organized a People's Town Hall in Sacramento in front of the office of Rep. Doris Matsui (D), and other registered Greens were participating or supporting a hunger strike at the San Francisco home of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D).

Greens also arranged a visit to the office of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-L.A.), where the lawmaker said he did not believe there was enough "evidence" of fraud and deception about the war to warrant impeachment proceedings against Pres. George Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney.

And, in the San Francisco area, 2006 Green Party congressional candidate (14th CD) Carol Brouillet was arrested along with Daniel Ellsberg and others at Lawrence Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab in a peace protest memorializing the 62nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

"The war on terror is a fraud. Our best hope is non-violent, widespread opposition to the threats to the constitution and our civil rights, and the world, and for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings to halt (the war) and reverse the policies of the past several years," said Brouillet. 

Green Party of California
www.cagreens.org