Posted on 10/26/2005 10:16:03 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
US police have arrested Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq who has become a prominent war opponent, along with two dozen people for demonstrating without authorisation in front of the White House.
Ms Sheehan became an icon of the anti-war movement when she camped outside President George W Bush's ranch in Texas during his August vacation, demanding he meet her for a second time.
Ms Sheehan had met the President earlier with a group of families of fallen soldiers.
Ms Sheehan and the other protesters staged a "die-in" in front of the the White House, lying on the ground to symbolise US soldiers killed in Iraq.
Several dozen sympathisers applauded as Ms Sheehan and others were taken away, while counter-protesters booed the group.
"Cindy Sheehan has been arrested with about 25 other people because she was demonstrating without a permit in front of the White House," Lieutenant Phil Beck of the US Park Police said.
"They laid down on the sidewalk without a permit, they were advised three times to leave the area, they chose not to leave therefore they were arrested.
"Most of them will probably be released tonight."
They face a $US75 fine.
She has called for civil disobedience around the country to demand the withdrawal of the 140,000 US troops from Iraq, as the US military death toll hit 2,000.
"There comes a time when we have to break a small law, like sitting down in front of the White House, in order to point out a greater law that's being broken," Ms Sheehan said in a statement.
"I can't imagine a greater law being broken than a war being waged in our name, whose justifications have proven to be false, and yet goes on and on anyway, taking the lives of thousands of people," she said.
Ann Wilcox, a protester with the anti-war group Code Pink, called Ms Sheehan "the Rosa Parks of our movement".
Ms Parks, who died this week aged 92, helped spark the civil rights movement nearly 50 years ago when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in segregated Alabama, an act that led to the black woman's arrest.
"I think middle of the road people are starting to see the futility of this war," Ms Wilcox said.
"We are going to continue putting our bodies on the line and being arrested."
Ms Sheehan was arrested in front of the White House late last month along with 370 other protesters and then released.
Even if that were true (and it isn't), her beef is with Congress that issued a war declaration. If she really wants to change this, she needs to convince enough senators and representatives to pass a bill removing that authorization from the President.
Cindy Sheehan is the "South Park" of the anti-war movement!
US police have arrested Cindy
Sheehan and put panties on her
head then charged with sedition.
I find it amazing how people in
the early days of America tarred
and feathered people and got away
with it.
Boston residents force tea down
the throat of a tarred and feathered
excise man as part of protests which
grew against British rule in the
thirteen colonies.
I would call her the idiot of the area.
FYI - Mother Sheehan should be arrested again shortly. I was just in Lafayette Park and witnessed the preparation.
"She should be arrested for brandishing a deadly weapon every time she shows her face in public. She's an argument for the burka."
She's a double-bagger, fer sure.
Is she talking about the war on fathers??? 45,000 of them have died in the last 2 and a half years as the courts destroy their lives after their divorces.
I think NOT!
It's time we stand up for our soldiers!
You got that right. The minute I saw the comparison with Rosa Parks I thought "my God - have they NO SENSE of shame?" Rosa Parks risked everything to take the stand she did. The Craftsman Madonna, on the other hand, is, as you put it so succinctly, is the biggest mediawhore to come out of the anti-war movement. And the media wants nothing to do with her.
Moonbat Mama is not even sufficiently worthy to wipe dog crap off Rosa Parks' shoes.
They should have arrested the rest of her crowd and left her lying there on the sidewalk.
They could put crime scene tape around her and let everybody walk by laughing at her.
3-letter word ... LOLOL!!
That really is incredible! Nice to hear that some people smartened up.
Citation for that claim?
She's as fascinating as a car wreck. Can't the authorities get her for stalking the President?
Mother Sheehan = Another Thanksgiving turkey for President Bush to pardon?
I wouldn't pardon her!
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