PRISON WITNESS CONTINUES; THOUSANDS WILL MARCH TO CLOSE THE S.O.A.
Seven in prison while thousands converge to follow them over the line at home of controversial US Army school for Latin American military training.

(Editor's note, 12/09/98: see John Reese's report on this action, Nov 22 98. 7000 in attendance!  2300 line-crossers!)

In September, as eighteen people completed their six month prison sentences for trespass at Fort Benning, Georgia, home of the School of the Americas, another man began his six month bit, four others prepared for even longer sentences while a fifth had begun serving hers, and yet another resister had an additional year added to time already being served for protests against U.S. military training of Latin American soldiers and officers.

In Georgia, organizers anticipate perhaps a thousand people, including maybe twice as many repeaters as in 1997, will cross the line November 22. Up to 5,000 people are expected to join the protest that day at the School of the Americas.

The eighteen served the maximum federal jail sentence for repeat trespass, having crossed the line for at least the second time in November, 1997, when 601 were arrested. Another of the convicted repeaters, Richard Streb, began serving his six month sentence in mid-September.

Then, in early October, four people reported to federal prisons to begin serving sentences for the September, 1997 truth-telling alteration of the sign at the main gate to Fort Benning. With the addition of six month sentences received for repeat trespass last November, Fr. Bill Bichsel SJ will serve 18 months, Ed Kinane will serve 16 months, and Sr. Marge Eilerman OSF and Mary Trotochaud will spend 14 months behind bars. Co-defendant Kathleen Rumpf began serving her 12 month sentence immediately last July. All five are also sentenced to two years of supervised probation following their release.

Rumpf was originally sent to Danbury Prison Camp in Connecticut, where she reports having already met imprisoned women from over 20 other countries. She expects to be moved soon to a federal prison in Texas.

John Patrick Liteky, already serving a one year sentence for pouring red dye on the Pentagon to protest the School of the Americas, was convicted of criminal damage in September for the same act at Fort Benning last Ash Wednesday. "My trial was predictable," Liteky wrote. "The jury took all of 14 minutes to come up with a unified decision. It was getting on toward supper time, and what the hell, I told 'em I'd done it at the get go!"

On October 15, Federal Judge Bob Elliot sentenced Liteky to another year in prison, plus fines and restitution and three years probation. Liteky is currently in transit, most likely to serve out his sentence at the federal prison camp in Sheridan, Oregon.

For more information, contact SOA Watch, POB 4566, Washington, DC 20017, (202)234-3440; http://www.soaw.org

Letters of support can be sent to Kathleen Rumpf, Richard Streb, Fr. Bill Bichsel SJ, Sr. Marge Eilerman OSF, Ed Kinane, Mary Trotochaud, and John Patrick Liteky at their addresses listed in Inside & Out.