War protesters gather at Port of Oakland They demand stop to shipments of military equipment to Iraq Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Saturday, April 7, 2007 (04-07) 15:55 PDT OAKLAND -- About 100 veterans and anti-war activists gathered at the Port of Oakland today to demand that the port stop shipping military equipment to Iraq. The peaceful rally stood in sharp contrast to the anti-war protest held there four years ago, when Oakland police fired rubber bullets and tear gas into a crowd of about 500 protesters and longshoremen, arresting 31 and injuring dozens. Oakland police had a strong presence at today's rally, bringing in a mobile command post to coordinate their effort, but there were no arrests. Toting signs reading "Stop the War Machine," protesters called on the port to spend some of its $33 billion budget on Oakland schools, health care and social services, and stop shipping military supplies that support the war in Iraq. Protesters also said they wanted to support similar anti-war protests at ports in Tacoma and Olympia, Wash. "To me, it's an opportunity to educate people about their public resources and make a decision if those resources are used in a moral way," said Wes Hamilton, a Vietnam veteran who came from Olympia, Wash., for the event. "We have a right to oppose the use of our ports for military uses and express this non-violently." West Oakland activist Margaret Gordon told the crowd that, in addition to curtailing war-related activities, the port must pay closer attention to the impact it has on nearby neighborhoods. "All day and all night long trucks and trains are going back and forth through West Oakland," she said. "It's hurting our health and we need to it to stop." In 2003, protesters blocked a port gate and, according to police, threw bolts and pieces of wood at officers. Police responded by firing non-lethal projectiles into the crowd, hitting a few dozen protesters and nine longshoremen who were waiting to go to work. An Alameda County Superior Court judge later dismissed the charges against 24 of those arrested. E-mail Carolyn Jones at [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/07/BAGJOP4RNO11.DTL They demand stop to shipments of military equipment to Iraq Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Saturday, April 7, 2007 (04-07) 15:55 PDT OAKLAND -- About 100 veterans and anti-war activists gathered at the Port of Oakland today to demand that the port stop shipping military equipment to Iraq. The peaceful rally stood in sharp contrast to the anti-war protest held there four years ago, when Oakland police fired rubber bullets and tear gas into a crowd of about 500 protesters and longshoremen, arresting 31 and injuring dozens. Oakland police had a strong presence at today's rally, bringing in a mobile command post to coordinate their effort, but there were no arrests. Toting signs reading "Stop the War Machine," protesters called on the port to spend some of its $33 billion budget on Oakland schools, health care and social services, and stop shipping military supplies that support the war in Iraq. Protesters also said they wanted to support similar anti-war protests at ports in Tacoma and Olympia, Wash. "To me, it's an opportunity to educate people about their public resources and make a decision if those resources are used in a moral way," said Wes Hamilton, a Vietnam veteran who came from Olympia, Wash., for the event. "We have a right to oppose the use of our ports for military uses and express this non-violently." West Oakland activist Margaret Gordon told the crowd that, in addition to curtailing war-related activities, the port must pay closer attention to the impact it has on nearby neighborhoods. "All day and all night long trucks and trains are going back and forth through West Oakland," she said. "It's hurting our health and we need to it to stop." In 2003, protesters blocked a port gate and, according to police, threw bolts and pieces of wood at officers. Police responded by firing non-lethal projectiles into the crowd, hitting a few dozen protesters and nine longshoremen who were waiting to go to work. An Alameda County Superior Court judge later dismissed the charges against 24 of those arrested. E-mail Carolyn Jones at [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/07/BAGJOP4RNO11.DTL [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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