Direct Action to Stop the War in Iraq

Members of the Erie Peace Initiative arrived at the Federal Building in Erie around 8:15 am on Monday, March 19, 2007. We held short vigil during which we read our statement to the media and to our supporters and provided individual participants to share their thoughts on the days action. After singing “Peace, Salaam, Shalom,” nine of us departed from the vigil and approached the door of the Federal Building.

We had previously informed the US Marshals at the building that we were planning the action and they were prepared for us. They only let two of us in and then locked the doors. I read our statement in the foyer and they asked us to leave. We declined and instead asked that they close the building for the day to honor those killed by the war in Iraq. Our seven friends who were left outside attempted to block the doors while we on the inside blocked the metal detector.

The marshals knocked us around a bit as we blocked the metal detector. We were forcibly moved and then would calmly walk back to our place. This happened 3-4 times. After about twenty minutes, the marshals at the door received orders to unlock the doors. We motioned to the seven outside to come in. They were surprised to have the doors unlocked but entered and brought with them a reporter and photographer from the Erie Times-News.

We created a human barricade and stopped a couple of folks from entering. As we were explaining our action and inviting them to join us in the line the marshals shoved, kneed and pulled the three of us directly in front of the metal detector (Tuesday’s Erie Times-News printed a photo of us being knocked around by US Marshals).

After approximately 90 minutes, the marshals arrested us with assistance from the Erie City Police. We were split up and placed in holding cells for two and a half hours before being taken before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Paradise Baxter and charged with “unnecessarily obstructing public areas such as entrances, foyers.” We were released shortly after 1:00pm on our own recognizance.

We will appear before Judge Baxter again Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 10:00 am.