4um: Anti-War Minister Is Attacked, Gets Leg Broken for Trying to Enter Petraeus Hearing

Title: Anti-War Minister Is Attacked, Gets Leg Broken for Trying to Enter Petraeus Hearing
Source: Alternet
URL Source: http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/62293/
Published: Sep 12, 2007
Author: Alternet
Post Date: 2007-09-12 19:38:13 by Zipporah
Keywords: None
Views: 270
Comments: 18

Anti-War Minister Is Attacked, Gets Leg Broken for Trying to Enter Petraeus Hearing

Siun: Rev. Lennox Yeawood stood on line waiting his turn to enter the room. This is what happened to him.

This post, written by Siun, originally appeared on FireDogLake

Rev. Lennox Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus wanted to attend the Petraeus Hearings yesterday. He stood on line waiting his turn to enter the room. This is what happened to him.

Capitol Hill Police "football tackled" Hip Hop Activist who was in line to enter hearing room for General Petreus' testimony on Capitol Hill

Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., president of the Hip Hop Caucus, was attacked by six capitol police today, when he was stopped from entering the Cannon Caucus Room on Capitol Hill, where General Petreaus gave testimony today to a joint hearing for the House Arms Services Committee and Foreign Relations Committee on the war in Iraq.

After waiting in line throughout the morning for the hearing that was scheduled to start at 12:30pm, Rev. Yearwood was stopped from entering the room, while others behind him were allowed to enter. He told the officers blocking his ability to enter the room, that he was waiting in line with everyone else and had the right to enter as well. When they threatened him with arrest he responded with "I will not be arrested today." According to witnesses, six capitol police, without warning, "football tackled him. He was carried off in a wheel chair by DC Fire and Emergency to George Washington Hospital.

Rev. Yearwood was examined for possible head and leg injuries then transferred to Central Processing. He has been charged with "assaulting a police officer."

Rev. Yearwood said as he was being released from the hospital to be taken to central booking, "The officers decided I was not going to get in Gen. Petreaus' hearing when they saw my button, which says 'I LOVE THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ.'"

The Capitol Police work for the Speaker's Office. I'm calling the Speaker's office to "discuss" this and I hope you will too. Her office number is:(202) 225-0100.

(Update: Liz from Hip Hop Caucus is at court and can't get online, but wanted people to know that Rev. Yearwood has a broken leg, he's in a cast and he's being arraigned for assaulting an officer and disorderly conduct. Updates as we get them -- JH)

" Junk is the ideal product... the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy." - William S Burroughs

Well it couldve been worse.. he couldve waiting 'on line' at the Who concert in cincinnati :P

The cops didn't need to break the guys leg ... he didn't appear to be acting irrational or out of control until they started arresting him ... he didn't assault anyone.

"The mighty are only mighty because we are on our knees. Let us rise!" --Camille Desmoulins

This is the video of his arrest at the Petraeus hearing. There was a post earlier today documenting the previous lies from General Petraeus about how good things were going in Iraq.

" Junk is the ideal product... the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy." - William S Burroughs

it looks after much discussion he was leaving on his own, and then they put their hands on him, and then he started resisting, then they tackled him. how any of these Capitol Hill Police guys can hold their heads up I don't know. they should be in deep shame and resigning if this is what they're all about.

Jeremiah 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

At 5:55 remaining, he's walking away and an officer behind him puts his hands on his shoulders, while two other officers are in front of him. He turns quickly to perhaps get the hands off of him, and then he is immediately taken down by the three.

Looked totally unnecessary, he was walking away until the guy behind him put two hands on him.

Reminds me of the news clips, often shown, of the Nazis thumping heads at Madison Square Gardens beofre WW2

I won't attend ANY rock concert with festival seating for that reason unless I'm sure that the headliner isn't the type of act to start a mad dash when the doors open.

(I do like to get up close and watch the fiddle and the steel player, though!) ;)