On Monday, Oct. 5, 2009, just after noon, about 60 activists were arrested at the White House for failing to obey a police order. The nonviolent "Civil Resistance" action was the largest such antiwar demonstration at this particular site, since President Barack Obama took office. Hundreds more participated in the event, but chose not to get arrested. Some of those arrested wore orange jump suits and black hoods. A few had chained themselves to the White House fence. "Peace Mom," Cindy Sheehan was one of those arrested. According to the press release of the sponsoring groups the action was carried out in order to focus attention on ending the U.S. war in Afghanistan and the U.S. occupation of Iraq; stopping the U.S. drone bombings in Pakistan; and to demand the closing, as a moral and legal issue, of the Gitmo and Bagram prisons. The activists also want the culpable members of the Bush-Cheney Gang brought to the Bar of Justice for their role in sanctioning and carrying out the illegal policy of torture.
See: National Campaign for NonViolent Resistance and DC: Join Pro-Peace & Accountability Groups for Plans & Action 10/3-5/2009 and Voices for Creative NonViolence and for a legal perspective on the practice of nonviolent resistance, check out Professor Frances A. Boyle's' excellent book, "Protesting Power: War, Resistance, and Law".
For the exact charges placed against each activist arrested and for the exact numbers arrested, and for the organizers' estimate of the crowd size, go to sites of the groups linked in the above cited press release.
