Widespread Resistance to War Threats: HARTFORD

In Hartford, Connecticut, on February 23, three dozen people vigiled in front of the federal building while five others marked the building with blood and ashes.

Christopher Allen-Doucot, Luz Catarineau-Colville, Alissa Johnson, Brian Kavanagh, and Paul Trowbridge were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief in the 2nd degree; except for Brian Kavanagh who was charged with conspiracy and disorderly conduct.

A leaflet given to passersby explained "We have shed our blood here because we cannot see the blood of the children of Iraq.  Their suffering is denied; their pain is kept hidden from us.  The truth of the current crisis in Iraq is that we are killing innocents via starvation and disease.

"We have marked the Federal Building with our blood and ashes to reveal the true consequences of our policy towards the people of Iraq..."

Their statement went on to cite familiar international law opposing the U.S.-led sanctions before declaring: "The law of God is even more clear.  We are told to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and we are told to love our neighbor as ourselves.  We love by feeding the hungry, comforting the ill and giving drink to the thirsty.  The sanctions are an expression not of love but of hate.  If anyone says, "I love God" and hates their brother, they are a liar. (1John 4:10)  If we are to love God then we must love all of God's children, including those who our government has declared as our enemy."

Charges against three who left ashes were later dismissed, while blood-markers Allen-Douçot and Trowbridge had charges reduced to Creating a Public Disturbance, meaning a bench trial. At the bar on May 15, the prosecutor failed to prove who threw the blood and whether in fact it constituted a crime.

The judge invited a motion to dismiss, which the defendants declined, then cleared the court to review the transcript.  When court reconvened, the judge criticized the prosecutor's ineptitude and continued the case for two weeks.  

For more information, contact St. Martin De Porres Catholic Worker House, 26 Clark St., Hartford, CT 06120, (860)724-7066, e-mail: cdoucot@erols.com

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last updated July 10 1998