Killeen: War veterans/military family members blockade Fort Hood Iraq deployment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: War Veterans/Military Family Members Successfully Blockade Fort Hood Deployment to Iraq.
Aug. 23, 2010 (KILLEEN, TX) – Five peace activists successfully blockaded six buses carrying Fort Hood Soldiers deploying to Iraq outside Fort Hood’s Clarke gate this morning at around 4 a.m. While the activists took the width of Clarke Rd. and slowed the buses to a halt, police made no arrests, but instead beat the activists out of the streets using automatic weapons and police dogs so the deploying Soldiers could proceed.
Among those blockading were three veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and one military spouse. (See attached bios) The action, organized by a group calling themselves “Fort Hood Disobeys,” was aimed at preventing the deployment of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Soldiers to what the veterans termed an illegal and immoral occupation.
While standing in the street, the activists held banners reading “Occupation is a Crime” and “Please Don’t Make the Same Mistake We Did. RESIST NOW.” From the TX HW-190 overpass, additional supporters attempted to hang larger banners that read, “Tell the Brass: ‘KISS MY ASS’ Your family needs you more” “Sick of Fighting Your Wars” and “Col. Allen [3 ACR Commander]: Do not deploy wounded Soldiers.”
This latest deployment comes less than two weeks after President Obama announced the second end to combat operations in Iraq. FHD organizers denounced this as a lie, and pointed to the deployment of the 3rd ACR, a combat regiment, to Iraq as clear proof. They have stated they will continue to organize direct action in the Fort Hood community to oppose the wars as long as troops continue to deploy.
The action organizers have established a website at forthooddisobeys.blogspot.com where they will be posting statements, photographs and video from the actions as they become available during the next 48 hours. As well, for the length of the day, FHD ran live webcasts updating their supporters and depicting portions of the direct action. All live broadcasts from the day are archived at http://bit.ly/b1WEyv.
For more information or to arrange coverage of today’s events, call 347-613-8964 or write to [email protected] See attached bios for more information on those who participated in today’s action. . . .
for more, go to http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=419661411852&id=1289128291
See also Alice Embree: Protesters Block Fort Hood Troop Deployment | The Rag Blog, http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/alice-embree-protesters-block-fort-hood.html
Tags: 3rd armored cavalry regiment, afghanistan, Alice Embree, deployment, Fort Hood, fort hood disobeys, Iraq, Killeen, military family, occupation, protesters, Rag Blog, RESIST, troop, veterans, wars
