On May 11th, Sailor Pablo Paredes and soldier Kevin Benderman are scheduled to appear before military court martial tribunals for their opposition to the Iraq War. They face forfeiture of pay and benefits, and military jail time.
On December 6, 2004, Navy Petty Officer Pablo Paredes refused to board his ship as it left the San Diego Naval Station in support of the Iraq War and occupation.
On January 5, 2005, Army Sgt Kevin Benderman refused to deploy for a second tour of duty in Iraq with the Army's Third Infantry Division. At the same time seventeen other soldiers from his unit went AWOL, two tried to kill themselves and one had a relative shoot him in the leg to avoid deploying.
Both men applied for discharge from the US military as conscientious objectors. The military has wrongly rejected both claims.
It's time for us to escalate public pressure and action in support of Pablo, Kevin and the thousands of other courageous men and women who have followed their conscience to uphold international law and to take a principled stand against the unjust, illegal war and occupation of Iraq. It's time we had their backs.
On May 12th, we will have a unique event. What Pablo and Kevin are unable to say in their trials we will say in public. We will put the war on trial.
Guest Witnesses Include:
Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights
Tod Ensign, Citizen Soldier
Chris Harrison, Iraq Veterans Against the War
Ray Ramos, deployed in Iraq with the 442nd Military Police
Medija Tahir
and more...
Thursday, May 12th at 7pm
The Community Church of New York
40 East 35th Street (between Park and Madison Ave.)
Take the 6 train to 33rd Street or the B, D, F, and R to 34th Street
and 6th Avenue at Herald Square.
To endorse the event, please email ParedesBendermanDefense@yahoo.com
Sponsored by (in formation):
Citizens for Pablo
Veterans for Peace
Military Families Speak Out NY-NJ-CT
Vietnam Veterans Against the War
United For Peace and Justice
International Action Center / SNAFU
Not In Our Name
Campus Anti-War Network
Vietnam Veterans Against the War - Clarence Fitch Chapter (NY, NJ, CT)
New York City Labor Against the War
Chris Harrison (Iraq Veterans Against the War, Peace-Out.com)*
Nancy Romer (Chair, PSC-CUNY Peace and Justice Committee and Co-
convener, Educators to Stop the War)*
International Socialist Organization
Solidarity
GI Special
Military Project
Code Pink
Citizen Soldier
* For identification purposes only
"All of the politicians that want to fight a war are free to trade
places with me at any time. I will gladly go and learn war no more."
--Sgt. Kevin Benderman
"I call on everyone who reads these words, to reclaim their humanity.
Refuse, as every member of humanity should, to promote this mass
violence against innocent people."
--Pablo Paredes
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PABLO AND KEVIN AND TO SIGN AN ONLINE PETITION
IN SUPPORT OF THEIR CASES VISIT:
www.defendpablo.org
www.bendermandefense.org
|
