N16-15 Years Ago Graduates of School of the Americas Massacred 6 Jesuits & 2 Salvadoran Women.

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Tuesday November 16, 2004 13:14 by Ciaron - Ploughshares/Catholic Worker 087 918 4552

This Weekend - 10,000 will Gather at Ft. Benning, Georgia, to Close the School of the Assasins Down!

The resistance continues at the School of the Americas. A soldiarity vigil (multifaith/no faith) will be held this Saturday Nov 20th. 12 noon - 2pm at the US Embassy, Dublin, while friends gather for resistance at Ft. Benning on Sunday Nov 21st.

In the early hours of Nov 16th. 1989, Salvadoran graduates of Ft. Benning's (Georgia, USA) of the "School of the Americas" forced their way into the Jesuit residence of the Central American University in San Salvador. They brutally murdered six Jesuit priests (one a Graduate of MIlltown Seminary Dublin) and two Salvadoran women co-workers. Graduates shot the brains out of the Jesuits with M16's at close range and turned a flame thrower on the library - in a brutal attack on critical thought in the US Empire and a threat to others.

75,000 others had been killed in El Salvador at this point in a war bankrolled by the US government.

The murders of Ignacio Martin-Baro, Amando Lopez, Elba Ramos, Ignacio Ellacuria, Segundo Montes, Juan Ramon Moreno, Celina Ramos and Joaquin Lopez y Lopez immediately took on special symbolic importance.

A wave of nonviolent reistance against the continued US sponsored war took place in the US. Joe Mulligan SJ & Phil Berrigan were arrested marking the White House with the blood of the victims brought from the crime scene to Washington DC.

On the first annivesary of the massacre Fr. Roy Bourgeois (who had been imprisoned in the '80's for nonviolent resistance at the School of the Americas), Charlie Liteky(winner of the Congretional Medal of honour in Vietnam, which he had returned with his military pension in protest against US wars in Central America) an Pat Liteky poured a large quantity of donated blood at the entrance at the SOA.

Roy and Charlie (both Vietnam Vets who had trained at Ft. Benning) and Pat were sentenced to 6-12 months by 86 year old Judge Elliot (a good freind of My Lai's Lt. Calley).

Every year since, Americans & others opposed to the state sponsored terror of the SOA gather at Ft. Benning to close the school. Some folks trespass and usually receive 6-12 month sentences. Last year (N16 2003, 10,000 gathered). Fr. Jerry Zwada remains in prison for his trespass, others have been recently released. Fr. Jim Hynes originally from Ballyfermot (now living in San Antonia after working in Peru) served 6 months in 2003.

Over 170 women and men have served sentences in federal Prisons and County Jails for nonviolent resistance at SO totalling 170 years.

The Pentagon has attempted torebrand the School as the "Western Hemisphere Institute of Security"

For more background on Nonviolent Resistance to the School of the Americas check the link below....