CPTnet
November 22, 2001
FT. BENNING, GA: CPTers arrested at School of the Americas vigil released

"I represent the thousands of farmers in Colombia who know more about the
SOA than most Christians in the US; it was with them that I crossed [the
line marking the entrance to the U.S. army base.] And it was in memory of
all the farmers killed in Colombia's dirty war that I remained praying on my
knees when I was asked to leave," said CPTer Scott Kerr (Downers Grove, IL).

On Tuesday at 5:00 pm, Kerr and CPT intern Ben Horst (Evanston, IL) were
released on their own personal recognizance from the Muscogee County jail in
Columbus, GA. Horst and Kerr were arrested after crossing onto the U.S.
military base of the School of the Americas (SOA) in order to ask officers
at the SOA to repent and cleanse their hands of participating in the
preparation and waging of wars.

Before the CPTers crossed onto the base, a group of 100 CPTers and
supporters read a litany of resistance with the refrain "we will not comply"
with laws that betray human life, the preparation for war, the bombing of
civilians etc.

In a symbolic ritual of cleansing, participants then washed the US and
Canadian flags, which have been stained by both countries' foreign policies
in Latin America. "The SOA is one of the most blatant examples of US
involvement in Colombian violence and human rights abuse. Countless deaths
and disappearances in Colombia are linked to US training at the SOA," said
Horst. Kerr, who has worked in Latin America with CPT for two years, said,
"I've met many SOA grads in my work. In Colombia, the General of the area
where CPT maintains its presence is an SOA grad; he has clear and
well-documented paramilitary connections."

Of the 84 people who crossed onto the base, 70 were released and 14 were
taken to the county jail and held overnight. It appears these 14 people were
singled out because they went limp instead of walking to the bus after they
were arrested. Upon reflecting on why he did not walk to the bus when the
military police asked him to, Kerr explained, "After reading the litany of
resistance with the constant refrain, "We will not comply," I felt that I
needed to continue in a spirit of prayer. The images of human rights leaders
killed by paramilitaries with Colombian army connections, images of friends
killed in Barranca, images of torsos floating down the Opon river where we
work, prevented me from walking onto the bus."

Horst and Kerr face up to one year on charges of trespass and resisting
arrest. No court date has been set. Kerr is urgently needed on the team in
Colombia. He is scheduled to return on December 4th, but fears that his
court date and possible prison sentence may prevent this. A long prison
sentence will also impact Horst's plans to go through the CPT training in
January and the spring semester of studies at Goshen College.

Horst said, "If my friends in Colombia can risk their lives every day for
peace, I can risk my liberty for a few months. I believe that God will do
what we asked for in song as the military police dragged me away: "Lord,
listen to your children praying, send your spirit in this place."

Excerpt from the litany:

"Let us resist and confront evil, wherever we find it" -"With the help of
God's grace" ... "With the waging of war" -"We will not comply" "With the
preparation and training for war" -"We will not comply" "With the forces of
fear" -"We will not comply" "With the legalization of murder -"We will not
comply" "With the legalization of genocide -"We will not comply" "With laws
that betray human life" -"We will not comply" "With the bombing of
civilians" -"We will not comply" "With the bombing of cities" -"We will not
comply" "with the destruction of cities" -"We will not comply" "with the
raping of women" -"We will not comply" "With the violating of our earth"
-"We will not comply" "With governments that are blind to the sanctity of
life" -"We will not comply" "With economic structures that impoverish and
dehumanize" -"We will not comply" "With the manipulation and control of
public information -"We will not comply" "With economics that manufacture
instruments of death" -"We will not comply" "With economics that practice
the use of instruments of death" -"We will not comply" "with the
perpetuation of violence -"We will not comply" "with the structures that
divide rich and poor" -"We will not comply" "with the hippocracy of
political manuvering" -"We will not comply" "With the help of god's grace"
-We will struggle for Justice" ...