Military police tear-gas Vieques protesters posted by Drew on Sunday April 07 2002 @ 07:46PM PDT VIEQUES, Puerto Rico- Military police detained a nun and an Episcopal priest for trespassing on restricted land on Saturday and used tear gas on about 50 people demonstrating against U.S. Navy bombing on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. So far, 14 people have been arrested for trespassing on Navy property since the exercises began last Monday. Navy officials confirmed the arrest Saturday of the nun and priest, who protesters identified as Carmen Gonzalez Arias and Pablo Maysonett Marrero. The destroyer USS Mahan and the guided missile frigate USS Barry conducted ship-to-shore military training on Saturday. Navy spokesman Lt. Corey Barker said exercises involving the USS George Washington Battle Group will resume on Monday. A protest involving about 50 people at one of the camps established by demonstrators near the front gate of the Camp Garcia military reservation was interrupted on Saturday by Navy security personnel shooting gas canisters from within the restricted zone. Despite contrary eyewitness accounts, Barker said CS gas spray was launched on Saturday after protesters threw "rocks and debris at Navy vehicles." When told rock throwing occurred after Navy security dispersed the crowd with gas, he added: "If there is an imminent danger that the crowd is going to throw rocks or break down the fence, then gas will be sprayed to disperse the crowd. Gas is used to disperse a threatening crowd." Demonstrators were observed taunting the sailors before the gas was used. After the crowd was dispersed, a few protesters came back and threw rocks, prompting Navy personnel to fire more gas. A barbed-wire fence and a line of Puerto Rican police officers separated the military security personnel from protesters, who included members of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, a group of Puerto Rican political and civic leaders from the United States making a one-day visit to the island. Fleeing from gas Dozens of protesters and journalists fled the gas, and at least two people affected by the gas were treated at a local clinic, protesters said. Two Puerto Rico officials said the Navy reaction was too strong. "They are provoking the situation," Police Col. Cesar Gracia said of the Navy security personnel, adding that reports of rock-throwing by protesters were false. "I witnessed the incident, and there was no rock-throwing. Right now, my superiors are on the phone to complain to the Navy about the situation," Gracia said. Juan Fernandez, the commonwealth government's special commissioner charged with overseeing Navy military exercises, said he believes security on Camp Garcia has been increased and that security personnel have been given orders to take a firmer approach against trespassers and protesters. "They are using exaggerated, unnecessary force and violating people's constitutional rights," he said, adding he would make a formal complaint to Navy officials. Commonwealth officials are also complaining that military officials are unnecessarily using pepper spray and aggressive treatment against trespassers arrested on Navy property. Ismael Gonzalez, a 67-year-old retired warehouse worker from Camuy, one of three trespassers arrested on Friday, needed medical attention after hitting his head on a rock while being detained. Barker said the incident was being investigated. Barker, who declined comment on security levels on Vieques, said training had not been interrupted by protests this week.
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/americas/04/06/vieques.protest.reut/index.html
