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Arms
Bazaar Protest Report
October 10, 2007
Dear Friends of the
Omaha Catholic Worker,
Several Friends of the OCW participated in a Protest Presence at the Quest
Convention Center in Omaha, NE.
Each year now, for the 2nd in a row the Quest Center was Host for the
Strategic Space and Defense Conference 2007
sponsored exclusively by OFFUTT AFB and STRATCOM.
This event is otherwise known as an "ARMS BAZAAR" where Defense
Contractors and Corporations buy and sell their Military and Space Weapons
to the US Government and Defense Department.
There were a few days of public Witness against this event with Nebraskans
for Peace on Tuesday evening Oct 9th, and also on Thursday morning October
11.
In addition . . . . . there were 9 other folks present for a small demonstration
and die-in on Wednesday morning October 10th: Fr. Jack Mc Caslin, Peg
Gallagher, Jerry Ebner, Sr. Marian Klosterman OSF, Mark Kenney, Leo Marks,
Michael Murphy, Steven Welch, and Sung-Hee Choi.
We gathered at the Quest Center at 11:00am, and began with Prayer and
the Daily Scripture Readings of the day:
Jonah 4: 1-11 and the Gospel of Luke 11:1-4
We closed with personal prayer, silence and the Peace Prayer of St. Francis.
The 4 of the group gently proceeded forward closer toward the doors of
the Quest Center: Jerry Ebner, Sr. Marian Klosterman OSF, Fr. Jack Mc
Caslin and Peg Gallagher, all Omaha residents. We all laid down on the
ground in order to symbolically portray the death that would come from
the use of Deadly Space Weapons, bought and sold inside this event.
When we were notified by the Quest Center personnel and the Omaha Police
Dept, that if we remained, we would be arrested, Sr. Marian Klosterman
OSF rose from the ground and stood  standing
with other supporters standing by. Michael Murphy dressed as the Spectre
of Death began to play " Taps" on his flute in honor of the
many dead soldiers in the Iraq War.
After about 20 minuets,
the remaining 3 people, Jack, Jerry and Peg, were each arrested and handcuffed
and led away to the paddy wagon and transported to Central booking station
of the OPD and given citations and then released. The Officers of the
OPD were very gentle and respectful of our presence.
The Charge is: " Refusing to Leave" a misdemeanor of the Omaha
City Ordinance Code # 20-155. We were released within an hour and told
to be at court on Nov 14th at 1:30 pm.
The Maximum penalty possible is: $500 fine and or/both 6 months in jail.
Checkout the photos from the day.
More photos can be
viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/monashaw/sets/72157602429926814/show/
Our Court Date:
Nov. 14th Wednesday at 1:30 pm
Place: Douglas County Court House downtown Omaha, NE .
Come to Court if you'd like to support these folks.
I am sure that Jack, Peg and Jerry would appreciate a phone call.
Fr. Jack Mc Caslin 78,
7323 Shirley Street # 305, Omaha, NE 68124
402- 926-2599 ( Jack does not do email)
Peg Gallagher 79,
4821 Chicago, # 14, Omaha, NE 68132
peggallagher@webtv.net
402- 553-0111
Jerry Ebner 57
Omaha Catholic Worker 1104 N. 24th Street, Omaha, NE 68102
cwomaha@gmail.com
402- 502- 5887
We will keep you posted about the court date. We will know more in the
next 3 weeks if the City Attorney is wanting to go ahead with this case
or not.
Thanks so much for your concern and support.
Thanks again, so much,
Jerry Ebner
--
Jerry Ebner and Leo Marks
Omaha Catholic Worker
www.no-nukes.org/cwomaha
cwomaha@gmail.com
1104 N. 24th Street
Omaha, NE 68102
402-502-5887
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