Protest targets soldiers' school

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Thirty-one Triangle community members, including 10 UNC students, traveled to Fort Benning on Sunday to participate in the annual School of the Americas protest.

The group, organized by Students United for a Responsible Global Environment, joined more than 16,000 demonstrators for the second day of the protest.

Now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, the school trains soldiers from nearly every country in the western hemisphere and educates some civilians and law enforcement officers. In Latin America, some who received instruction in the United States went on to abuse and kill hundreds of thousands of people.

Protesters occupying the one-mile stretch of road leading to the fort's gates expressed their vehement distaste for the school, often calling it the "School of the Assassins" or a "terrorist training camp."

Catholics made their usual large showing, and the tone of the day was highly spiritual. Speakers often aligned their cause with the righteousness of God.

A singer crooned to the SOA and its opponents, "The evil that you're fighting for, God condemn your holy war."

Four UNC students from the Presbyterian Campus Ministry also traveled to the event.

The turnout was diverse. Before her performance, Indigo Girls singer Amy Ray boasted that the protesters, many decked out in anti-SOA gear, ranged from "punk rockers to folksies to priests."

Actor Martin Sheen voiced his deep commitment to the school's closing. "I think you know what I do for a living, but this is what I do to stay alive."

He immediately made a play on his "West Wing" TV role. "As the acting president of the United States, I came to issue the following directive: The School of the Americas shall cease and desist, effective immediately. ... Jed Bartlett, November 21, 2004."

As he stepped down from the stage, several in the crowd shouted with laughter, "Four more years, four more years."

Sheen's declaration embodied the optimism that was central to the protest. With chants such as "Si, se puede" (Yes, we can) and "No mas, no more," the crowd members showed that they weren't there to complain but to demand change.

The three-hour symbolic funeral procession was the day's main event. Most participants brought white crosses bearing the names of the SOA's indirect victims. A stage ensemble soulfully sang the names and ages of just a portion of those they called martyrs, many of whom were civilians or unarmed activists.

UNC senior Ian Kibbe talked about the impact the string of names had on him. "It hits you that, 'Wow, oh, there were a lot of people killed,'" he said. "But then it sort of drowns into the background, but then an hour and a half later, you realize they're still reading names."

Afterward, the mood changed from somber to celebratory, with folk dancing, a comedy routine by "the world's only singing CIA agent" Dave Lippman and anticipation of the justice they hope will come.

People who crossed the temporary fences at the entrance of the fort received shouts of encouragement from the crowd but a less supportive response from a recorded voice transmitted over a loudspeaker: "It's the policy of this installation that no partisan political demonstrations be held here."

UNC graduate Dan Schwankl was one of at least 16 trespassing protesters. Dennis Kyne, a member of Veterans for Peace, announced that later in the afternoon, he planned to climb over the fence and leave his "dirty old rag" of a uniform at the entrance.

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.