November 22, 2004
OVER 16,000 CONVERGE AT FT. BENNING, CALL FOR END TO SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS!...
CIW
and the Taco Bell boycott at center of weekend activities!... From the School of the Americas Watch report:
"Over 16,000 people from across the Americas—including
actors Martin Sheen and Susan Sarandon—gathered
this weekend outside the gates of Ft. Benning, Georgia
in the most diverse demonstration yet of opposition
to the School of the Americas (SOA), a combat-training
school for Latin American soldiers."
The annual protest is one of the largest actions for
social justice nationally, calling for an end to US
foreign policy support for military leaders accused
of human rights abuses. According to the SOA Watch,
"SOA/ WHINSEC graduates return to their countries
to utilize their training domestically and are consistently
cited for 
atrocities
against their own people. New research introduced by
SOA Watch earlier this year confirms that the school
has continued to support known human rights abusers."
A contingent of CIW members traveled to Georgia again this year to participate in the growing action. The Taco Bell boycott figured prominently in the weekend's activities. In particulary, the boycott and the story of exploitation in Florida's tomato fields served as the central theme of the spectacular, 500-person street theater that has become a tradition at SOA protests (above, right). Congratulations to all the people at SOA Watch for putting together another great event!