>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 10:14:24 EDT > >STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.COM > >In a message dated 14/05/00 5:14:07 PM Pacific Daylight Time, >[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > ><< Subj: PROTESTERS RE-ENTER VIEQUES BOMBING ZONE > > > Vieques Libre - http://www.viequeslibre.org > > http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000514/wl/puerto_rico_navy_bombing_1.html > > Yahoo World Headlines > Sunday May 14 4:34 PM ET > > Puerto Ricans Enter Navy Grounds > > SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Dozens of Puerto Ricans cut through a fence > to sneak onto a Navy training ground on Vieques Island, renewing a > yearlong battle against a U.S. military presence. > > The Navy said Sunday that guards had detained 55 protesters, including > former light heavyweight boxing champion Jose Torres, soon after the > protesters breached the fence Saturday night. Demonstrators said another > 11 were caught Sunday, but Navy spokesman Robert Nelson said he was > unaware of any other detentions. > > The protesters were trying to break back into the area, after U.S. > Marshals on May 4 cleared 216 protesters from camps out on the Navy's > Vieques training ground. Activists have been trying to force the Navy to > leave Vieques, and have vowed to continue entering Navy land. > > Nelson said the latest group of protesters was stopped at about 9 p.m. two > miles north of the training ground's main gate. The protesters surrendered > peacefully to military police, he said. > > Torres was charged with trespassing and released Sunday morning. Nelson > said the others detained Saturday were being held at the nearby Roosevelt > Roads Navy base because they had refused to identify themselves. They were > awaiting a hearing before a federal magistrate. > > Demonstrators said the former president of the Puerto Rican Bar > Association, Graciany Miranda Marchand, was among the detainees. > > Since the May 4 raid, patrol vessels have turned away 72 boats trying to > enter the waters around the training ground. Last week inside the training > ground's fence, guards arrested Ruben Berrios, leader of the Puerto Rican > Independence Party and a gubernatorial candidate in November's elections. > He was charged with trespassing and released. > > Dozens of people held a protest vigil Saturday night in front of the > training ground's gates, with Puerto Rican riot police standing guard. > > The Navy controls two-thirds of Vieques and uses it for weapons storage > and military exercises. Resentment over the Navy's presence flared in > April 1999, when a Marine Corps jet dropped two 500-pound bombs off > target, killing a civilian security guard working in the bombing range. > > After months of negotiations with Gov. Pedro Rossello, President Clinton > agreed to order the Navy out by May 2003 if the island's 9,400 residents > voted in a referendum to expel it. Clinton gave the Navy permission to > continue training until then without explosives. > > > ==================================== > http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000514/ts/puertorico_vieques_1.html > > Yahoo Top Stories Headlines > Sunday May 14 1:31 PM ET > > U.S. Military Arrests 51 Protesters on Vieques > By John Marino > > SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - Authorities arrested 51 people for > attempting to occupy a disputed military firing range on the Puerto Rican > island of Vieques, the largest number detained since federal agents > cleared 200 protesters from the site on May 4, U.S. Navy officials said on > Sunday. > > Marine Corps and Navy security personnel made the arrests late on Saturday > after 54 people breached a fence guarding the Navy's Camp Garcia on the > eastern third of Vieques, an island off of Puerto Rico's east coast, Navy > spokesman Robert Nelson said. > > One man and two minors were released and the remaining 51 people were > taken by boat and helicopter to the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station on > Puerto Rico's east coast for processing. > > ``They are going to be cited for trespassing on federal property,'' Nelson > said. > > Firing-range protests have been staged for more than a year on Vieques > since a stray bomb killed resident David Sanes Rodriguez, a civilian > security guard employed by the Navy, on April 19, 1999. > > His death unleashed pent-up resentment in the Spanish-speaking U.S. > commonwealth, prompting the Navy to suspend live-fire bomb training and > sparking a drive to oust the Navy from Vieques. > > Since then, a deal has been reached between the White House and the > administration of Gov. Pedro Rossello, under which the Navy can train > using dummy bombs for three years. In return, Vieques would receive > economic incentives and the Navy would transfer the western end of the > island to commonwealth hands. > > The deal also called for a referendum among Vieques residents, who would > choose whether the Navy should leave in three years or stay indefinitely > for an extra $50 million in economic aid. > > Trespassers Face Misdemeanor Charge > > The group on Saturday was the largest arrested on Vieques since a May 4 > federal raid removed more than 200 protesters who were camped out on the > Navy bombing range within Camp Garcia. > > Nelson said the latest trespassers, who were peaceful and cooperated with > authorities, would face only misdemeanor charges. Misdemeanor trespassing > carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail, versus 10 years for > felony trespassing. > > During the earlier raid on May 4, federal authorities opted not to file > charges, but warned protesters they could face 10-year prison terms and > fines of $250,000 for trespassing on the range a second time. The stiff > penalties corresponded to an order signed by President Clinton on Dec. 1, > 1999, making it a felony to trespass on the bombing range. > > Nelson said, however, that the tougher felony penalties were part of a > ``temporary security zone'' that was created to coincide with the > resumption of target practice using inert ordnance. The security zone was > later lifted. > > Puerto Rican Independence Party President Ruben Berrios, who spent nearly > a year camped out on the range, was arrested on May 10 when he and another > party member made it back onto Navy land. While he could have faced a > felony under Clinton's order, he too was charged with a misdemeanor. > > U.S. District Court Judge Carmen Consuelo Vargas de Cerezo, who was > assigned to hear the Berrios case, recused herself on Friday, arguing that > the Vieques cause is a petition for peace before the ``holy sacrament.'' > >Yahoo World Headlines >Sunday May 14 4:34 PM ET > >Puerto Ricans Enter Navy Grounds > >SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Dozens of Puerto Ricans cut through a fence >to sneak onto a Navy training ground on Vieques Island, renewing a >yearlong battle against a U.S. military presence. > >The Navy said Sunday that guards had detained 55 protesters, including >former light heavyweight boxing champion Jose Torres, soon after the >protesters breached the fence Saturday night. Demonstrators said another >11 were caught Sunday, but Navy spokesman Robert Nelson said he was >unaware of any other detentions. > >The protesters were trying to break back into the area, after U.S. >Marshals on May 4 cleared 216 protesters from camps out on the Navy's >Vieques training ground. Activists have been trying to force the Navy to >leave Vieques, and have vowed to continue entering Navy land. > >Nelson said the latest group of protesters was stopped at about 9 p.m. two >miles north of the training ground's main gate. The protesters surrendered >peacefully to military police, he said. > >Torres was charged with trespassing and released Sunday morning. Nelson >said the others detained Saturday were being held at the nearby Roosevelt >Roads Navy base because they had refused to identify themselves. They were >awaiting a hearing before a federal magistrate. > >Demonstrators said the former president of the Puerto Rican Bar >Association, Graciany Miranda Marchand, was among the detainees. > >Since the May 4 raid, patrol vessels have turned away 72 boats trying to >enter the waters around the training ground. Last week inside the training >ground's fence, guards arrested Ruben Berrios, leader of the Puerto Rican >Independence Party and a gubernatorial candidate in November's elections. >He was charged with trespassing and released. > >Dozens of people held a protest vigil Saturday night in front of the >training ground's gates, with Puerto Rican riot police standing guard. > >The Navy controls two-thirds of Vieques and uses it for weapons storage >and military exercises. Resentment over the Navy's presence flared in >April 1999, when a Marine Corps jet dropped two 500-pound bombs off >target, killing a civilian security guard working in the bombing range. > >After months of negotiations with Gov. Pedro Rossello, President Clinton >agreed to order the Navy out by May 2003 if the island's 9,400 residents >voted in a referendum to expel it. Clinton gave the Navy permission to >continue training until then without explosives. > > >==================================== >http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000514/ts/puertorico_vieques_1.html > >Yahoo Top Stories Headlines >Sunday May 14 1:31 PM ET > >U.S. Military Arrests 51 Protesters on Vieques >By John Marino > >SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - Authorities arrested 51 people for >attempting to occupy a disputed military firing range on the Puerto Rican >island of Vieques, the largest number detained since federal agents >cleared 200 protesters from the site on May 4, U.S. Navy officials said on >Sunday. > >Marine Corps and Navy security personnel made the arrests late on Saturday >after 54 people breached a fence guarding the Navy's Camp Garcia on the >eastern third of Vieques, an island off of Puerto Rico's east coast, Navy >spokesman Robert Nelson said. > >One man and two minors were released and the remaining 51 people were >taken by boat and helicopter to the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station on >Puerto Rico's east coast for processing. > >``They are going to be cited for trespassing on federal property,'' Nelson >said. > >Firing-range protests have been staged for more than a year on Vieques >since a stray bomb killed resident David Sanes Rodriguez, a civilian >security guard employed by the Navy, on April 19, 1999. > >His death unleashed pent-up resentment in the Spanish-speaking U.S. >commonwealth, prompting the Navy to suspend live-fire bomb training and >sparking a drive to oust the Navy from Vieques. > >Since then, a deal has been reached between the White House and the >administration of Gov. Pedro Rossello, under which the Navy can train >using dummy bombs for three years. In return, Vieques would receive >economic incentives and the Navy would transfer the western end of the >island to commonwealth hands. > >The deal also called for a referendum among Vieques residents, who would >choose whether the Navy should leave in three years or stay indefinitely >for an extra $50 million in economic aid. > >Trespassers Face Misdemeanor Charge > >The group on Saturday was the largest arrested on Vieques since a May 4 >federal raid removed more than 200 protesters who were camped out on the >Navy bombing range within Camp Garcia. > >Nelson said the latest trespassers, who were peaceful and cooperated with >authorities, would face only misdemeanor charges. Misdemeanor trespassing >carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail, versus 10 years for >felony trespassing. > >During the earlier raid on May 4, federal authorities opted not to file >charges, but warned protesters they could face 10-year prison terms and >fines of $250,000 for trespassing on the range a second time. The stiff >penalties corresponded to an order signed by President Clinton on Dec. 1, >1999, making it a felony to trespass on the bombing range. > >Nelson said, however, that the tougher felony penalties were part of a >``temporary security zone'' that was created to coincide with the >resumption of target practice using inert ordnance. The security zone was >later lifted. > >Puerto Rican Independence Party President Ruben Berrios, who spent nearly >a year camped out on the range, was arrested on May 10 when he and another >party member made it back onto Navy land. While he could have faced a >felony under Clinton's order, he too was charged with a misdemeanor. > >U.S. District Court Judge Carmen Consuelo Vargas de Cerezo, who was >assigned to hear the Berrios case, recused herself on Friday, arguing that >the Vieques cause is a petition for peace before the ``holy sacrament.'' __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
