Catholic Workers Arrested at Blackwater USA H.Q.

Dear Friends,

Last night we received a call reporting on an action that Peter De Mott and other Catholic Workers from the East Coast were part of at the headquarters of Blackwater USA in the Great Dismal Swamp, NC. Below are photos of the action as well as their statement.

Six of the group are being held on a $1000. bail, Peter being one of them. They will go to court on Wednesday where they will be arraigned and possibly bail will be reduced. Right now they are being charged with resisting arrest, trespassing, and destruction of property. They are being held at the

Currituck County Jail:
413 Maple Rd.
Maple, NC 27956

It's said that a picture tells a thousand words, so instead of a thousand words

you can see pictures at: www.sandbox.stokeddesign.com

The photos explain the action but for those of you that can't access the web... basically the group used an old car donated for the action, dressed it up with fake bullet holes, put red paint on it, wrote the words Nisour Square (the site of Blackwater's latest massacre) and drove onto Blackwater property to their headquarters sign. At that point the group got out of the car and a couple of them put bloodied (red paint) handprints on the signs (one is of a bear paw, Blackwater's logo) and "died in". The "die in" lasted about 45 minutes before they were arrested by the Currituck County Sheriff. Meanwhile there were about 50 folks supporting off property. They stood in vigil while the action took place.

I understand that all in the group are in good spirits. Please hold them in prayer.

In Peace, Ellen

Blackwater Protest Action Statement

As people of faith who wish to shed light and enkindle hope, we come today to the headquarters of Blackwater Worldwide in an act of nonviolent protest, appealing to Blackwater personnel to disassociate themselves from a corporation which:

• Operates in connivance with the U.S. Military to prosecute the illegal, unjust, aggressive war against Iraq in order to secure American imperial objectives in the Middle East;

• Reaps huge revenues amounting to billions of dollars, in effect robbing the American public of valuable resources needed for the basic necessities of life: food, shelter, health care, etc;

• Murders innocent Iraqi noncombatants, including children, women and the elderly;

• Performs these evil deeds without any accountability and operates with complete immunity;

• Works side by side and colludes with the world’s number one terrorist, the United States Govenment.

Steve Baggarly
Beth Brockman
Mark Colville
Peter DeMott
Laura Marks
Bill Streit