UPDATES ON CINDY SHEEHAN VISIT TO CRAWFORD
Friday, Aug. 12, 2005
(Reverse Time Order — More Recent Entries Toward Top)
Click here to read Iconoclast interview with Cindy Sheehan's lawyer:
'Crawford 5' Lawyer Aids Sheehan's Legal Defense
UPDATES ON CINDY SHEEHAN VISIT TO CRAWFORD Click here to read Iconoclast interview with Cindy Sheehan's lawyer: 7:50 p.m. Report — PRO-BUSH GROUP ARRIVES AT CAMP CASEY A group of about 50 pro-Bush demonstrators from the Metroplex armed with various sizes of American flags, as well as banners and posters, arrived directly across from Camp Casey on county right-of-way around 6:30 p.m. Radio personality Mike Gallagher, who organized the event, led the group in patriotic songs, a prayer, pro-Bush rhetoric, and thankfulness that they could openly express their beliefs in America. The group, which traveled in a charter bus and several cars, stayed about 30 minutes and departed for Pirate Field in Crawford to see about another rally. There was no suggestion that they were going to camp the night. The group was comprised of young and old, from elementary-school-age children to World War II veterans. The only time the group had much contact with the supporters of Cindy Sheehan was when it crossed a line of McLennan County Sheriff's Department vehicles to place American flags beside the crosses that were earlier placed in the ground by supporters of Veterans for Peace. Sheehan's group held up a banner that said, "Support Our Troops, Bring Them Home Now," sang a song, but remained quiet and respectful during all the time Gallagher's people were there. I asked Mike Gallagher if he was going to place a flag in front of Casey Sheehan's cross at Camp Casey. He said, "We wanted to. But the police said don't go over there, so we are placing flags over by the white crosses." Lisa Fithian of the United Peace and Justice Organization said,"We're not going to stop it, you know. If they want to bring American flags, they can place American flags.They're honoring those that have died." Chief Deputy Randy Plemons, after conversing with a supervisor, said, "No one was stopped or told not to go over there and place any flags or anything like that. That was not the case here today." There were Secret Service present with Sheriff's Department deputies. As I am leaving, there are still at least 50 pro-Sheehan people out here. There are bouquets of flowers beside about 50 of the crosses and there's a ton of crosses lining the side of the road for about a quarter of a mile.
Friday, Aug. 12, 2005
(Reverse Time Order — More Recent Entries Toward Top)
'Crawford 5' Lawyer Aids Sheehan's Legal Defense
Iconoclast's Nathan Diebenow reporting from Camp Casey:
1:35 p.m.
Iconoclast's Deborah Mathews reporting (photos follow this segment):
Cindy's lawyer is with officers at the tent, the chopper is still circling, but a lot lower. The motorcade is expected momentarily.
Here comes another police car. Here comes the motorcade led by six highway patrol cars. They are traveling fast. Here they come. I see the motorcade.
Cindy is holding her in the cross in her left hand in the direction she's coming. She's simply holding it. Her lawyer whispered something to her. She's holding it up high. "Meet With Cindy" in unison is being shouted. The motorcade is not moving as fast as it did last time it came through this area.
The chanting is getting louder. There are a lot of people in these vehicles. Chanting even louder. There's some chicken noises "cluck cluck cluck" by protestors. Now, quickly, the motorcade has passed. Cindy told someone that she saw Laura Bush in one of the cars.
People are starting to disburse. Get all your trash off the triangle someone yelled. Cindy Sheehan is being interviewed again. "We want to show him there are people who oppose him. This is real democracy. There are real people that really oppose him," Cindy said.
Cindy is walking toward her tent, walking under the awning, putting the cross back and in the ground, and is sitting down.
Officers with the highway patrol and county are still out here. Secret Service has moved away and are getting back in their cars.
People are picking up trash where the line was and people are being moved out of this area.
That's all for now.
MEDIA CIRCUS — Cindy Sheehan draws a crowd of reporters during a press pool held in frontof her tent at Camp Casey at 10 a.m.
— Iconoclast Photo By Deborah Mathews
IRAQ VETERAN and author Phil Kiver presents a copy of his book and his support to Cindy Sheehan.
— Iconoclast Photo By Deborah Mathews
THE CROSSES TO HONOR the Iraq dead begin here and stretch half a mile.
— Iconoclast Photo By Deborah Mathews
CASEY SHEEHAN cross sits directly in front of Cindy's tent where she often rests when not hunted down for interviews.
— Iconoclast Photo By Deborah Mathews
TEXAS STATE TROOPERS move into place between Cindy Sheehan and her supporters and the President's oncoming motorcade.
— Iconoclast Photo By Deborah Mathews
LAW ENFORCEMENT wore riot gear with the motorcade in the background.
— Iconoclast Photo By Deborah Mathews
CASEY SHEEHAN'S CROSS IS HELD HIGH by his mother Cindy as she stands against the yellow police barricade tape. She wanted to be sure it was seen by the President.
— Iconoclast Photo By Deborah Mathews
IT IS SUSPECTED THAT one of these vehicles carried the President in the motorcade.
— Iconoclast Photo By Deborah Mathews
THE AMERICAN FLAG was installed high above the memorial to the war dead.
— Iconoclast Photo By Deborah Mathews
1:25 p.m.
Iconoclast's Deborah Mathews reporting:
The protestors are lined up again now. They are trying to keep a four-foot distance between them and the yellow police tape. The law enforcement personnel have taken off the riot gear. Everyone is waiting for the return of the President to his ranch.. It is extremely quiet. You can hear the wind and the helicopter.
Cindy will be standing separated from the rest, so that she will not blend into the crowd.
There's a guy with a squirt bottle of cold water squirting the back of the necks of everyone. He's telling them that if they don't want to be squirted, raise your hand.
1:15 p.m.
Iconoclast's Nathan Diebenow reporting:
Cindy's blog stated that right-wingers are organizing to counter-protest her activities. They are aiming to
arrive in Crawford (tonight) Friday evening by 6 p.m. on bus.
Austin Against War's Weekly Friday Vigil on Friday, Aug. 12, will dedicate its peace vigil to Cindy Sheehan and the other Gold Star and military families (www.gsfp.org, www.mfso.org). Come between
5-6 p.m.
Austin Center for Peace & Justice is hosting Sunday at 3 p.m. an interfaith service focused on: What are our troops and Iraqis dying for and what is our civilian obligation? Present by cell phone will be Cindy Sheehan & Bill Mitchell (both of Gold Star Families for Peace) and Ray McGovern from the Servant Leadership School in Washington, D.C. who has been the spiritual advisor to Cindy, along with Dr. Robert Jensen, Mary Berwick, Garland Robertson - a former chaplain from the Iraq war, and many local leaders from a variety of faiths. Following the service, two representatives from www.ustourofduty.org) will stay on for discussion. This service will be located at St. Andrews Presbyterian, 14311 WellsPort Drive (at Wells Branchway between I35 and Mopac).
11:45 a.m.
Iconoclast's Deborah Mathews reporting:
The motorcade of about 20 vehicles just passed by on the way to the Broken Spoke. The activists chanted "Meet With Cindy," "Stop The War," and "Bring Our Troops Home." The road is blocked off to through traffic. He is due back by about 12:45 p.m. At that time the road will be reoponed.
We are on the triangular piece of land.
The passing was very quick, the motorcade traveling fast, 45-ish miles per hour, which is pretty fast with the curves in the road, one which is about 90 degrrees. It's just "hotter than hell out here. It's just miserable out here. But everyone is determined — both sides."
Seven or eight Sheriff's deputies were decked out in riot gear, the rest of the law enforcement personnel with bullet-proof vests. They are hot. It is extremely hot and humid out here, windy also.
After the passing, the activists are "hanging around," standing around waiting.
Officers are just standing around.
There were no altercations of any kind. Everyone did exactly what they were asked by law enforcment personnel to do.
It seemed intense, but was quick, a lot of waiting, then suddenly the motorcade came through. The campers are offering water to the law enforcement personnel who are also stranded here.
About 100 people are out here, about a third of which are media, not counting law enforcement that number about 20.
Many were holding signs, some held them next to the yellow "police line don't cross" tape stretched to bisect the triangle. It was previously illegal, off limits to stand on the triangle, but now it is where the onlookers are ordered to stand. It is unknown whether this will revert back to being illegal after the President's return to the ranch.
The officers remain in heavy gear as they await the return of the President in an hour and a half.
10:35 a.m.
Iconoclast's Deborah Mathews reporting:
There's a lot of excitement at Camp Casey. Law enforcement officers have been swarming the place, getting ready for the Presidential motorcade to pass through the camp on the way to a fund-raiser about a mile up the road, at the Broken Spoke. The pass-through is expected in about an hour and 20 minutes. Campers will be allowed to stand on the infamous triangular piece of ground while the motorcade passes by. Five highway patrol, three Secret Service in bullet-proof vests, two county officers are seen at the moment. A lot of plain-clothes people not seen here earlier are milling around.
Protestors are being instructed on what types of signs they can carry. For instance, if some want to carry crosses left over from yesterday's planting, the metal portions that are inserted into the ground have to be removed; otherwise, they might be considered a weapon.
One officer said, "You all have worked with so well, and we wantto keep that going."
Looks like they are going to move us all back 50 ft. From 11:50 a.m., then an hour-and-a-half until the motorcade comes back by, no one may leave or come to the camp
Cindy has been doing interviews this morning, NBC, public radio, at 10 a.m. she called a press pool and at that time, the man that wrote a book, an Iraqi veteran also protesting, said, "Your losses is a drop in the bucket."
12:05 a.m.
Late Night; Nathan Diebenow reporting for the Lone Star Iconoclast:
People have been visiting at the Peace House. They have been checking their e-mails, calling their relatives in other parts of the world, and celebrating birthday parties.
After receiving a foot massage, Cindy Sheehan retired to the "nap room" a little while ago to prepare for Friday while the rest of the people are talking outside. She just left to spend the night at Camp Casey.
Earlier in the evening, there was a meeting of the Crawford Peace House. The main discussion points were parking and shuttle service from the Peace House and Pirate Field parking lot to Camp Casey..
The organizers suggest that people stop by the Crawford Peace House prior to going to Camp Casey and they will be directed to the football field parking lot.
By the end of the day Thursday, over 600 people are estimated to have walked through the doors of the Crawford Peace House.
Various gifts were given to the Peace House and supporters of Cindy, a few being six shuttle buses from radio personality Randi Rhodes, free wireless service for the Peace House, a barbecue grill being brought in by a man from Texarkana, and a few cases of beer (Jim Hightower would be proud).:-)
There have been thousands of other phone calls of support, as well as requests for rides from the airport to Crawford. One woman has paid the way for a Navajo activist to come to Crawford, said Kay Lucas, a member of Friends of Peace and Crawford Peace House supporter.
Johnny Wolf, the owner of the Peace House, returned from a meeting with Crawford's new mayor, David Poston, and Chief Donnie Tidmore about securing Tonkawa Falls Park for a rally there on Saturday. The outcome of the meeting was that the Crawford Community Center and the park area have been tentatively granted to the supporters of Cindy for a rally. The officials are checking the schedule for any conflicts, as of this evening.
I interviewed Hadi Jawad, one of the directors of the Peace House, Kay Lucas, a member of Friends of Peace Waco, and Johnny Wolf. I will try to have these ready to post later today. Topics included depleted uranium weapons, the Iraqi constitution, the attitudes of the local Crawford people, and the significance of soccer moms speaking out.
I also just finished interviewing two recent graduates of Crawford High School. They asked that their names remain anonymous. One indicated he supports the President, but both said that they themselves would not want to go into the military because they do not know what this war is about.
BIRTHDAY GIRL Alexis Royal (left) of Austin celebrated her birthday at the Crawford Peace House Thursday night. She came to Crawford with her mother, Barbara Rush (right, with camera).
— Iconoclast Photo By Nathan Diebenow
PHONE HOME — Bill Mitchell of Ascadero, Calif. calls home to his parents and asks them if they had seen the front page of the LA Times with him and Cindy on it. He also informed them of the tremendous response from people around the world concerning Cindy's stand.
— Iconoclast Photo By Nathan Diebenow
FOOT MASSAGE — Cindy Sheehan receives a foot massage from a Vietnam veteran who came with 50 other Veterans for Peace members from their Dallas convention last week. Sheehan, one of the speakers at the convention, was on the bus that brought this group to Crawford last Saturday.
— Iconoclast Photo By Nathan Diebenow
A PLANNING MEETING was held in the back yard of the Crawford Peace House last night. Discussion topics included parking at the football field and shuttle service to and from Camp Casey.
— Iconoclast Photo By Nathan Diebenow
HADI JAWAD, a board member of the Crawford Peace House, answers one of several hundred phone calls he received yesterday regarding how to give support to Cindy Sheehan as she awaits a face-to-face meeting with President Bush at his Prairie Chapel ranch.
— Iconoclast Photo By Nathan Diebenow
No comments:
Post a Comment