Anti-War Movement
Coffins of U.S. military personnel are offloaded at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware in this undated file photo. The U.S. military death toll in Iraq has reached 3,000 on December 31, 2006, an unwelcome milestone for President George W. Bush who is searching for a way to turn around the unpopular war even if it means sending more troops. The Pentagon tightly restricts publication of photographs of coffins with the remains of U.S. troops and has forbidden journalists from taking pictures at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, the first stop for the bodies of troops being sent home.
REUTERS/HO
Meet the anti-war movement’s newest folk hero: 69-year-old Rosemarie Jackowski, whose arrest during an anti-war protest has made her a cause celebre.
A prosecutor’s plan to retry her for blocking traffic while protesting against the Iraq War is turning the feisty 1.47-metre former schoolteacher into a darling of the dove crowd.
Bloggers have rallied behind her, peaceniks are deluging her with messages of support, and advocates have established a defence fund.
“She’s not a loony toon by any means,” said Andrew Schoerke, 73, a retired US Navy captain who was arrested with her. “She’s a very down to earth, sensible, caring person with some very strong convictions.”
Jackowski was one of a dozen protesters arrested at a March 20, 2003 protest, staged within hours of the start of the United States’ “shock and awe” bombing campaign in Iraq. Carrying a sign that read “Impeach Bush” on one side and listed US “war crimes” on the other, Jackowski refused police orders to get out of the street and was arrested for blocking traffic.
“It was really hard for me to stand there and just hold my sign,” she said in an interview. “I came from a strict ethnic, religious background. I was taught to never ever be disobedient to anyone teacher, parent, policeman. That was my very first act of disobedience to anyone.”
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The 3,000th U.S. death is prompting more protests…..here. More about upcoming protests here
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