NYTr Cindy Sheehan Speaks in NY: Unconfirmed Report of Arrest

"I was just pbutting by," said John Ullman, 37. "This is going to be a chance for me to get my first impression of her," he added, noting that he agrees with her goal of ending the war.

Mr. Ullman and the others who came to the church had to wait for more than an hour to hear Ms. Sheehan, as her party got lost on the streets of New York.

When they finally arrived, Ms. Sheehan, whose son Casey, 24, was end last year, was treated like a rock star, as children and adults crowded around her, clamoring to shake her hand or get an autograph.

The church was an appropriate setting for a protest, said the Rev. David W. Dyson, who helped organize the event. Built in 1857, the church was created as part of the abolitionist movement, and tunnels below were twice used to shelter runaway slaves as part of the Underground Railroad.

Mr. Dyson said many people showed up because they respect Ms. Sheehan's willingness to speak out for what she believes.

"I was opposed to the war in the beginning," Mr. Dyson said. "I am even more opposed to it now."

Ms. Sheehan, however, was not the only person speaking to a crowd about the war in Iraq yesterday.

Gary Qualls, an Army veteran whose son also died in Iraq, spoke in Bryant Park in Manhattan as part of a gathering sponsored by Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission, which supports the Bush administration's goals.

Elsewhere, the Times Square Choir gathered for a special service called "Salute to the Troops" on the deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid, which is permanently docked on the Hudson River.

Ms. Sheehan has more events scheduled in the city, including a news conference with the Rev. Al Sharpton and other New York leaders this morning and a rally later in Union Square. She is to end her trip to New York with another speech at Riverside Church.

She also faulted the media for not scrutinizing the White House.

"It is not patriotism when you say, 'My country right or wrong,'" she said. "Because our country is very wrong now."

~ Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

posted by marc parent on activistlist (yahoo) BREAKING: Cindy Sheehan arrested in Manhattan

by Five of Diamonds Mon Sep 19th, 2005 at 12:42:39 PDT

I witnessed this with my own eyes. Here is my account.

Cindy Sheehan was arrested moments ago in Union Square, Manhattan for allegedly speaking in the square without the proper permit.

A small group of police began to congregate around 2:00 on the south east corner of Union Square. Cindy and her peace entourage were slightly late to the event, contending with public transportation.

Upon her arrival, applause and cheers filled the crowd awaiting her speech. A few other members of the tour movement spoke. Afterward, about 2:50, Cindy began her speech. It was friendly and empowering. She was grateful for the support and urged everyone to go to Washington DC on the 24th of September for a march on Washington.

At the conclusion of her speech, from my perspective, a few loud and impbuttioned boos erupted, then I saw a hand come from behind Cindy and grab her shoulder-strap on her backpack. The arm jerked her backwards, with such force as to snap her head forward, and she fell from my view.

The crowd erupted in booing and jeering. The crowd rushed the elevated park where she once stood, not to fight but to witness what was happening. People crowded the police, who had formed a semi-circle around what was happening to Cindy (which I could not witness from my vantage point).

"Nazis," "Gestapo," "free speech," "burn the consbreastution," "traitors," "you can't have her," could be heard from all sides of the angry crowd. The police stood shoulder-to-shoulder with emotionless looks on their faces. One woman from the tour, I did not see who, urged everyone to that it is a waste of energy to yell at the police, we can't stop it from happening, but what we can do is trumpet this event to the rest of the United States.

Many media cameras were there. One New York Times reporter was also there (at least), and she was moving around the crowd asking questions. Upon the arrest, she inserted herself into the middle of the screaming, recording it all with her mini-recorder.

I'm not sure the details of the permit situation. The announcer said they sought a permit for weeks with no response from the city government.

Spread the word Kossaks! More as it unfolds.

rhetoric, and the spirit of the event was positive and strong. She was only there for about 10 minutes before she spoke, and spoke for about 5 minutes. The crowd was respectful and peaceful. Cindy and the other speakers were using a microphone and speakers, which may have caused the problem with the permits. The announcer told the crowd that they had been officially warned before Cindy got there. I'm trying to find out the permit stuff right now. She was speaking at "Camp Casey NYC" in Union Square. It was a planned event, advertised in the newspaper. And from what I heard (Union Square is a noisy place), they tried to get a permit but did not get a response from city government after many messages were left. My view was not the best, so I did not see if it was a cop behind her that jerked her away. The immediate booing and rushing of the "stage" (a large part of the park raised by about 3 steps) made me believe it was the police. I could not see if she resisted or not. Sorry for the bad view...I wish I had more. Watch the wires, this will be out soon.

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