ACTIVISTS DENIED ENTRANCE TO HEARING, REMOVED BY POLICE!

Moments ago, anti-war activists were refused entrance into a House Armed Services committee hearing in which General Petraeus, commander of U.S. operation in Iraq, was scheduled to appear. The CODEPINK ladies, dressed in Pink Police uniforms, and others including Gold Star Mother for Peace Cindy Sheehan and Marine mom Tina Richards, went to the hearing expecting it to an open and transparent. Instead, they were told there was not enough room availble for the public to attend. This was very similar to what happened at the House Appropriations 07' supplemental markup hearing last month. There was A LOT of mainstream press there to cover the generals testimony that got footage of the ensuing conflict. The group of peace advocates started chanting "TROOPS HOME NOW". Suddenly infamous neo-con Negroponte showed up in the hallway on his way to the hearing. People dropped the chant and started yelling at him, "WAR CRIMINAL" and "WHAT ABOUT THOSE NICARAGUAN DEATH SQUADS; Negroponte turned around and ducked into another room to get away from the protesters. The Capitol police told people they coulod not stand in the hall and would have to move along. At that point Cindy, Medea, Gael, Ann and all the others started marching up and down the hallway continuing to chant. The Capitol police came out in full force until there were more blue cops than pink cops. Then the same police officer who instigated the police brutality at the appropriations hearing blew his whistle and announced that they were clearing the hallway, and that everyone who did not coply was going to be arrested. The police formed a tight police line and, step by step, that foced the
group back away from the hearing room. As of now no arrestes have been reported but we will keep you updated as information becomes available. Since all power is "derived from the People", American democracy should be a transparent process. The most disgusting thing about this incident is that shows how our elected officials are attmpting to lock "the People" out of the legislative process.