Following a federal hearing where plaintiffs challenged George W. Bush’s authority to wage war on Iraq, supporters of the lawsuit marched from the US Courthouse to the Boston Armed Services’ Recruiting Office (185 Devonshire St.). Plaintiffs from the case joined the procession, including military families with loved ones in the Persian Gulf.

In an act of planned civil disobedience, eleven of the protestors (Daniel Giffin, Susan Barney, Ben Scribner, Joe Preritera, Michela Wood, Nick Fuller-Googins, Joe Caldwell, Tom Feagley, Melissa Mackey, Carl Williams, and Caroline Arpe) sat in front of the office to demand that the Bush Administration, “Bring Our Troops Home: No War, No Sanctions on Iraq.” At 2pm, Boston Police arrested seven men and four women for disturbing the peace, while dozens of supporters across the street chanted, “Bring our troops home, No war for oil” and sang "We Shall Overcome."

Charley Richardson, whose son, Joe, is in the Marines and deployed to the Gulf, stated, "We think that the most supportive thing we can do for our son and our troops is to stop this rush to war." Nancy Lessin, Charley's wife and Joe's stepmother added, "We need to prevent yet another generation from being put in harm's way for the wrong reasons. Please support our troops -- bring them home now!"

Ben Scribner, one of those arrested today, said, “Bush’s war is about the control of Persian Gulf oil, and has nothing to do with security for Americans, nor the values we cherish. While corporations like Halliburton, the oilfield services giant, will profit, our service men and women, and thousands of Iraqis will pay with their lives.”

The support group’s statement of action declares, “As concerned nonviolent activists of the United States of America, we believe that war is entirely unacceptable War is counterproductive to world peace and security that we desire most of all.”

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Boston College, The Heights - Issue: 02/25/03

Two students arrested at demonstration
By Michelle Sanders

Last Monday night, while many Boston College students studied for midterms or prepared for Spring Break, Joe Previtera, A&S '05, spent the night in jail.

Along with 11 other protesters, varying in age from 20 to 50, Previtera and fellow BC student Nick Fuller-Googins, A&S '06, were arrested on Monday for their involvement with an act of civil disobedience at the Boston Metro Recruiting Station at 185
Devonshire Street.

The decision to protest at the Army Recruitment center had been made by a Boston-based group of activists. "Everything was done by consensus," said Previtera. "It was well planned out; I was really impressed by the organization of the other activists." Earlier in the day, the group had attended the trial John Doe v. George W. Bush. The hearing addressed a lawsuit filed by US soldiers, their families, and six congressmen in an attempt to block an invasion of Iraq.

"This was a good opportunity to stop the war before irreparable damage is done," said Previtera, who sat in on the morning's
hearings. The plaintiffs claimed the president did not have the power to declare war and sought to bar any military action
without a declaration from Congress. The judge threw out the lawsuit at the hearing. "It was really frustrating," said Previtera. "The trial reaffirmed my decision to take part in the civil disobedience [at the Army recruitment center]."

Previtera, Fuller-Googins, and nine others sat in front of the Army Recruitment center preventing anyone from entering or exiting the building. Approximately 25 additional protesters stood on the opposite side of the street holding signs and chanting. After a short while, the Boston Police showed up and told those eleven seated in front of the center that they would be arrested, said Previtera. They then separated the men and women and took them to the station.

Previtera said that some of the police officers gave him a hard time, making fun of his long hair and calling him a follower. "It was upsetting," he said. "They tried to undermine what I believe in. It was difficult to swallow."

All eleven protesters were charged with disturbing the peace and bail was set at $40. Fuller-Googins posted bail and returned to the courthouse the following morning. Previtera, however, decided not to post pail and spend the night in jail. "I made my decision not to post bail to be in solidarity with the poor," he said. "It was cold, and I was hungry because they didn't have any vegetarian options."

Sleeping on a metal and cement bed in a single cell, Previtera said the hardest part of the night was losing track of time. "I spent a lot of time thinking and praying," he said. "There are many small things I took away from the night." Spending the night in jail, he felt was good preparation for the next year of his life, which he will spend in Palestine.

At the courthouse the following morning, Previtera was reunited with the other protesters. Shackled together throughout their arraignment the defendants were assigned a pre-trial hearing for April 8.

Also present at the hearing was Brendan Moloney, A&S '04. A friend and supporter of Fuller-Googins and Previtera, Moloney attended the protest the day before, but did not take part in the civil disobedience. "I had thought about it but I decided not to take part," he said. "It was really good seeing those two do what they felt was necessary at the time. I support them and their decision."

BC does not have a specific policy regarding student arrest for demonstrations. "We frankly have never dealt with this type of situation before," said Dean for Student Development Bob Sherwood. "If the Boston Police asked us to follow up on this, we
would review it, but we have never received a report from BPD about students being arrested for a demonstration."

Previtera informed his parents of his arrest late Tuesday night. Although they are not very supportive of his activism, he said, "they are not going to disown me or anything. They know this is something I am serious about, and that it is not just something on the side for me. This is my life."