Green Party USA Coordinator Detained at Airport, Prevented by Armed Military Personnel from Flying t

Counter Punch ^ | 2 November 2001 | Counter Punch

[Kenyon]

Green Party USA Coordinator Detained at Airport; Prevented by Armed Military Personnel from Flying to Political Meeting in Chicago

CounterPunch Wire

"An official told me that my name had been flagged in the computer," a shaken Oden said. "I was targeted because the Green Party USA opposes the bombing of innocent civilians in Afghanistan."

Oden, a long-time organic farmer and peace activist in northern Maine, was ordered away from the plane. Military personnel with automatic weapons surrounded Oden and instructed all airlines to deny her passage on any flight.

Oden is scheduled to speak in Chicago Friday night on a panel concerning pesticides as weapons of war. She had helped to coordinate the Green Party USA's antiwar efforts these past few months, and was to report on these to The Greens national committee. "Not only did they stop me at the airport but some mysterious party had called the hotel and cancelled my reservation," Oden said.

"I am shocked that US military prevented one of our prominent Green Party members from attending the meeting in Chicago," said Elizabeth Fattah, a GPUSA representative from Pennsylvania who drove to Chicago. "I am outraged at the way the Bill of Rights is being trampled upon."

Chicago Green activist Lionel Trepanier concluded, "The attack on the right of association of an opposition political party is chilling. The harassment of peace activists is reprehensible."

[Kenyon]

IF this is true - it is completely unacceptable, regardless of her beliefs on the war.

[X918]

Maybe her "Down with America/Long Live Osama" t-shirt raised a red flag ?

[hsszionist]

It isn't easy being green. Do you have a listing of the domestic political groups that the government has designated as terrorist groups?

[Mike4Freedom]

This is outrageous but should have been expected. Power given to the government will always be used and soon abused. How long before some other group gets the honor of being labeled as "terrorist", a label that is not judicially reviewable according to the terms of the horrible misnamed USA Patriot Act. Now that this monster is in place, the next time we get a liberal administration, we can expect Free Republic to be named.

[hsszionist]

Expect religious curtailments next.

[CommiesOut]

-

[mewzilla]

Before anyone gets too bent out of shape over this, may I gently suggest that we consider the source of this info and look for some corroboration before we start seeing Fascists behind every bush?

If the story is indeed true, then we can scream bloody murder about it.

[TLBSHOW]

There is more to this than meets the eye.

Does the Green Party (Nancy Oden ) have terrorist ties to Bin Laden?

[TLBSHOW]

Nancy quote:I have hurt LITTLE MUSILLINI feelings (NATIONAL GUARD) AS THIS ONE WAS A BLACK.

And your point is what Nancy? Come on tell us.

[ICU812]

Can anyone confirm this from a news source?

[Texas Mom]

I am shocked that US military prevented one of our prominent Green Party members from attending the meeting in Chicago," said Elizabeth Fattah, a GPUSA representative from Pennsylvania who drove to Chicago. "I am outraged at the way the Bill of Rights is being trampled upon."

The Watermellon party. Green on the outside, Red on the inside.

[jmp702]

Exactly.

[callisto]

"I was targeted because the Green Party USA opposes the bombing of innocent civilians in Afghanistan."

Appearances can be deceiving. She wasn't necessarily detained because of her opposition but possibly because of some other, not here-to-fore cited, conviction or strong tenet. Convictions cause convicts. And before I get flamed, think about the statement.
I would hope that at a time when our nation is under domestic attack that anyone who loudly protests securing our nations safety would be questioned or more-thoroughly investigated. Flame away...

[LizM]

I believe this woman has other affiliations outside the Green Party. She is a member of RAGE--one of the direct-action groups that the FBI has classified as a domestic terrorist organization.

"All life on earth comes second, third, or never behind corporate profit," said Nancy Oden, a member of the Northeast Resistance against Genetic Engineering—known as RAGE."

http://www.pested.psu.edu/bttgc31.html

From an article in the Bangor Daily News from Aug. 20th, 1999:

"Environmental activist Nancy Oden of Jonesboro said Thursday that while she did not destroy the plants, she commended those who did. "I'm glad they did it," Oden said during an interview at the Bangor Daily News offices. "It may not have been legal, but it was the moral thing to do."

Oden, who was scheduled to meet with Jemison and Rebar on Thursday morning, said that she had planned to bend a few ears of corn down as a "nonviolent protest'' during the meeting, but did not know who was responsible for the late-night destruction.

The meeting was canceled Wednesday by Jemison after a scheduling conflict, he said.

In an Aug. 16 e-mail sent to other activists and also sent to the NEWS, Oden gave explicit directions to the location of the cornfield and advised activists to wear "a mask to avoid the toxic pollen, and gloves to avoid toxins throughout the plant'' if they had physical contact with the plants.

http://www.biotech-info.net/vandals_at_umo.html

So, it isn't surprising to find this woman was stopped. I guess the Greens want it to look like she was harassed just because of her "peaceful" ways and political views.

I'm not sure how to post links but I think cut and paste will work.

[CommiesOut]

Gulyat' zdorovo, tovarishchi amerikantsy.

[nancetc]

Yes and my father with black hair, olive colored skin and blue eyes was flagged too...last name starts Al...so the heck what. He didn't excuse why he was flagged or complain...he had his luggage searched twice at the ticket counter area and at the gate...as well as a search of person.

A co-worker with blonde hair and blue-eyes was flagged and searched.

Oden is a complaining wimp.

[nancetc]

BTW it was probably OJ Simpson that called and cancelled the reservations...broken glass in the sink.

[general_re]

Can anyone confirm this from a news source?

LEXIS rocks. Here's another version, hot off the wires. This is a bit different than the version above, I think:

-------

HEADLINE: Activist says she was singled out for security screening

DATELINE: BANGOR, Maine

BODY: Political activist Nancy Oden missed her flight to Chicago for a Green Party USA meeting because she reportedly became uncooperative during security screening at Bangor International Airport.

The Jonesboro woman said she was singled out for extra scrutiny because of her activist past and public opposition to the current war effort.

"I was treated (as) if I were guilty just because I'm a dissident and I speak out," she said. "They're looking at me like I'm a terrorist and I'm just a peaceful person trying to go to a meeting in Chicago." Oden scrapped her travel plans.

Officials at the airport and American Eagle Airlines have a different account of Oden's afternoon run-in with the added security.

"She was uncooperative during the screening process," said American Eagle spokesman Kurt Iverson. "Obviously if they can't submit to screening, (federal) regulations require that they not be allowed to board the plane."

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, security has been tightened at airports. In Bangor, armed National Guardsmen monitor the screening area and passenger lists are checked against an FBI terrorist watch list.

At one point during Oden's security screening, a National Guardsman grabbed her by the arm and she jerked it away.

While acknowledging that Oden was singled out for added extensive screening, authorities said it was more likely due to the manner in which she purchased her ticket than for her activist past.

Without providing details, interim airport director Rebecca Hupp said that the FAA guidelines "have more to do with the ticket than the person." Oden bought her nonrefundable ticket online, she said.

The Green Party USA has protested the response to the Sept. 11 attacks. According to a statement on its Web site, the group "condemns the U.S. and British bombing of Afghanistan as inhumane and an act of "state terrorism" against a starving and impoverished nation."

The Greens National Committee is meeting in Chicago this weekend.

-------

[spartan68]

Let's see, she pissed off everyone in the terminal, acted like a complete a$$hole, refused to submit to "now normal security", No folks she got just exactly what she deserved! She outta be GD lucky that some Bangor cop or a MP didn't make her a inpatient at Eastern Maine Medical Center!
She completely disrupted operations at BIA for close to an hour!