Sheehan Occupies John Conyers’ Office, is arrested with 45 others

July 23, 2007 Bush Era, D.C., Impeachment Events, Impeachment News 4

AfterDowningStreet.org
Cindy Sheehan Occupies John Conyers’ Office
Submitted by bob fertik

Cindy Sheehan led 2-300 impeachment activists on a march from Arlington Cemetary to the Congressional office of Rep. John Conyers, whose job as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee puts him in charge of impeachment. AP reports:

“Impeachment is not a fringe movement, it is mandated in our Constitution; Nancy Pelosi had no authority to take it off the table,” Sheehan told her group of orange-clad activists Monday. “If Nancy Pelosi doesn’t do her constitutionally mandated job by midnight … I will announce that I’m going to run against her.”
I just got a live report from David Swanson, who says Conyers is nowhere to be found – but Sheehan, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, and former CIA presidential briefer Ray McGovern are inside his office holding a press conference!

In fact, there are so many reporters with Cindy that they are taking turns going into the packed office to ask questions.At least 300 activists are lining the halls outside the office, both the marchers and those who went directly to the Capitol.

Update 1:30 EST: Conyers staff is negotiating with activists to move the protest to a larger room.In Detroit, 50 people went to Conyers’ district office, but they only let 5 people in and wouldn’t let them keep their cellphones so we’re not getting any reports.

Update 1:35 EST: Conyers just arrived!! As he walked down the hall, activists shouted IMPEACH so loud the whole floor echoed. Conyers and his staff took Cindy, Rev., and Ray into a private office without the media. Stay tuned!

Update 2:55 EST: After an 80-minute meeting, Cindy emerged and told the activists that Conyers said “our only recourse is elections,” and the activists groaned. Cindy announced she will run against Pelosi because she and Conyers haven’t “stepped up,” and the activists cheered. Rev. Yearwood is giving a fired-up speech and activists are crowding in to Conyers’ office for the sit-in.

Update 3:43 EST: Capitol Police arrested Cindy Sheehan, Ray McGovern, Rev. Yearwood, David Swanson, and 20 other activists and put them on a police bus. But all is not grim – Cindy is calling it her “campaign bus.”

(Original Article)

ALSO:

E-mail from Debra Sweet of WCW:

Cindy Sheehan, Ray McGovern and Rev. Lennox Yearwood met with John
Conyers this afternoon, while about 300 of us were outside in the hall.
We had arrived after a really spirited, really ORANGE march from
Arlington Cemetery where the response from people in cars, on the Mall,
and in offices was
mostly very positive. There was a loud, permitted “Gathering of
Eagles/Free Republic” counter-rally of 30 people with a guy criticizing
WCW, Cindy,
and Medea Benjamin.

Cindy announced after meeting with Conyers, that he said the 208
elections were the way to end the Bush regime, and that nothing was more
important
than the Democrats winning the presidency. Rev. Yearwood said how
disappointing it was to have Conyers, his mentor, turn his back on the
peoples’
demand fo rjustice.

Immediately, about 30 people jammed into Conyer’s outer office, and were
arrested wtihin about 20 minutes. Hundreds of others were in the hallway,
and some of them were arrested when they sat down in protest.

50 people met outside Conyer’s Detroit office this morning. Homeland
Security allowed only 5 people in, who sat for hours in solidarity with
the people
demanding impeachment in Washington.

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