Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Please remember to use the new list address: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Refer to http://www.stopnato.org.uk for further information. ................................................................ > From: "Bill Howard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: BOGUS ARREST AT SPACE CENTER FLORIDA > Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 03:16:30 +0100 > MIME-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > X-Priority: 3 > X-MSMail-Priority: Normal > X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2014.211 > X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2014.211 > > > [Via Communist Internet... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] > . > . > > [This 'Celebration/Protest' idea is really catching > on - why dont they create a 'Celebration-Area' > too? Bill] > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <mailto:Undisclosed-Recipient:;@mindspring.com> > Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 6:24 PM > Subject: BOGUS ARREST AT SPACE CENTER FLORIDA > > > BOGUS ARREST AT SPACE CENTER FLORIDA > > > It's no surprise that Bruce Gagnon likes to demonstrate. To celebrate his > birthday, he invited friends to join him at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) > on July 28 to hold some banners at this most popular tourist facility. > > Some background is necessary. Last month, eight of us did the same thing. > We stood in an area close to the booth where people pay their entrance fee. > We weren't there five minutes when NASA security police were all over us, > insisting we stand at the "designated protest area." The spot turned out to > be a decent one, a grassy walkway with trees that hundreds of tourists > passed on their way to and from the ticket entrance. > > Although uninvited, NASA security read Bruce's e-mail birthday invitation. > They were prepared for us. In the morning, they switched the parking lots > so that the areas around the "designated protest area" were full by the time > we got there. The "main entrance" for entering tourists was now way out of > sight of the "protest area." So we went to the "new" active entrance. We > were a dozen people. All but one of us stood with our banners in full view > of tourists, without blocking access. There was a steady flow of people. > Wil Van Natta (West Palm Beach) stood in the midst of the flow of people, > greeting those who passed by showing them an enlargement of the Space > Command's "Vision for 2020." > > We had just unfurled our banners when NASA security police arrived to tell > us we needed to move to the designated area, or we would be arrested for > trespassing. They called for the Brevard County Police. We stayed put, > holding banners that said "Keep Space for Peace," "No Weapons in Space," > and "No Nuclear Power in Space." > > A few people stopped to listen to what Wil had to say about the Space > Command and its plans to dominate space. One of the security officers > approached, told him he was under arrest, and handcuffed him. Wil remained > calm and respectful; others of us questioned the appropriateness of this > arrest in every way we could. > > Soon thereafter, most of us went over to the "designated protest area." We > were shocked to see that they had constructed a "corral" for us - a small > metal cage you would expect to see fencing in cows or pigs. We refused to > enter. Security police maintained a steady presence near us for two hours > videotaping, taking pictures, talking into their radios. Some even hovered > around our cars in the parking lot. > > Meanwhile, our friend Beth Ehrlich (Daytona Beach) stayed behind with some > others to observe what would happen with Wil. She engaged in conversation > with a woman tourist who was waiting for friends. When asked by this woman > for some written information, Beth handed her a newsletter. Immediately a > security officer appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and grabbed the > newsletter. All three of them tugged on the paper for a moment before the > tourist finally insisted this newsletter belonged to her. He let go of the > paper and left. > > There's the image, friends: NASA "security", defining their jobs as > securing the area from any ideas or written materials they don't approve of. > A tourist having to "fight" for the opportunity to read a newsletter. > Restricted access to any ideas not bought and paid for by NASA and the > aerospace corporations. An expression of their deep fear that a simple > slogan on a banner might encourage tourists to open their minds and think > before they enter the front door. Their "security," paid for by taxpayers' > dollars, is about keeping freedom of expression corralled, marginalized, > ridiculed, punished. > > Wil was taken to the county jail and booked for trespassing. They > eventually waived bond and he was released eight hours later. He has a > court appearance scheduled in three weeks. > > We will return to KSC on October 13, in greater number. We will not be > silenced. > > Mary Beth Sullivan > > Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space > PO Box 90083 > Gainesville, FL. 32607 > (352) 337-9274 > http://www.space4peace.org > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
