Early this morning a group of about 50 marched down Hollywood Blvd. to the recruitment center and proceeded to block the entrance. They were prepared to risk arrest but it did not come to that. Police monitored the group but did not interfere. It is believed that the center knew in advance of the action and closed because of the demonstration.

About 25 people set up an all day vigil at the front doors to make sure the recruitment center did not try to reopen. One of the people who took part, Ann Bishop, said of the action “We may have saved a few lives. Somebody didn’t sign up, and maybe having a day to think it over they won’t sign up, and they won’t go some where and be killed or kill any body”.

The organizers of today’s action say they will be back.

Attached is a mp3 of the statement read on Monday at Armed Forces Recruiting Center in Hollywood:

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2006/09/179863.php

for more information see:

http://peacewitnessla.org

These individuals where legaly and rightfully
excercising their rights entitled to them in the
1st Amendment of the Constitution of the United States
of America.

Their purpose is to expose the illegal/immoral activities
of the people who control our young men/women in
the armed services.

The "phony" accusation is merit-less and point-less in
light of the fact that they serve to benefit nothing by
participating in this act, in fact they are most assuradly
risking attack by ****** ******* ******** ***** and hate
groups such as the minute men.

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.... The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. -MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., "Strength to Love" (1963)

This perspective isn't given enough attn in the mainstream right wing pro-war pro-israel mainstream media...

By shutting down the “career” center for one day, we prevented any children or young people from being recruited to kill other children or young people. I am very proud of what I did and believe in my heart that Peace is Patriotic.

Wow, I listened to audio recording of the speech given at the LA action and was amazed--as someone who has worked on the national level developing the strategy of this campaign, I can say that this was the best speech I have heard about what this campaign is about and why we are doing what we're doing. I hope that this speech can be circulated as widely as possible in print or audio so folks everywhere can hear and understand what we're about.
Thank you so much for doing this!

Well done there, I hope your efforts hit the news big-time! I see the 'police' are there with cameras, I hope that they don't give you protesters, too much 'gyp'.

Here in England, such 'protesting' is sometimes punished, by beating and/or police harassment!
So stay clean and keep on sticking up for your rights!
We see you.............
...........................your sisters and brothers in England.
much love and respect........

The three guys in robes look like ministers or priests.

Any idea what churchs they're part of?

ANYONE WHO THINKS BREAKING THE LAW BY SHUTTING DOWN A LAWFUL GOVERNMENT AGENCY IS PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS DEMONSTRATING A FUNDAMENTAL LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES.

the police where right there...

I didn't see anyone arrested

PS - has your CAPS key malfunctioned ?

The march from the church along Hollywood Blvd. was our expression of Free Speech, protected by the 1st Amendment. We had a police escort on bicycles the entire time. The police asked us to allow the tourists to enjoy their time in Hollywood. We did not block stores, restaurants nor did we walk on the stars on the sidewalk.
By blocking the entrance to the Military “Career” Center, we were engaging in an Act of Civil Disobedience. CD encompasses the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government or of an occupying power without resorting to physical violence. You might want to read Henry David Thoreau's 1849 essay on the right and obligation to follow your conscience.
Civil disobedience has been used in nonviolent resistance movements in India (Gandhi's social welfare campaigns and campaigns to speed up independence from the United Kingdom), in South Africa in the fight against apartheid and during the American Civil Rights Movement in the fight against segregation and disfranchisement. Yesterday CD was used to protest the treatment of immigrant workers by hotels near LAX.

Thoreau's essay provides a convenient excuse for those who can't get their way through the ballot box. His work is not the law.

The instances you cite were examples where democratic institutions did not exist. Those people had no option but to use illegal methods for social change. The classic example is the American Revolution. Parliment had passed laws to tax, etc. without legal authority. Remember, "taxation without representation is tyranny."? They were not saying that taxes were wrong, but that representation is required to do it, i.e. the local legislatures such as the House of Burgesses must make these decisions. Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence expresses these sentiments. The works of John Locke would be useful to read as well.
Those folks in front of the Recruitment Center are undemocratic and UNAMERICAN.

I would rather someone was wrapped in the Constitution burning the flag than wrapped in the flag burning the Constitution.

TOM still thinks the US is a democracy, but its not anymore. Tom sounds like some one who loves this country. When he wakes up and sees how he has been lied to he will be even more pissed off than we are.

Don't get me wrong...I am all for people who want to be a conscientous objector and a pacifist like the Quakers and the Amish. We have religious freedom in this country. But on the other hand you shouldn't put down people in the military because they want to serve their country either. If you don't have people with guns willing kill on your behalf then you won't have any of these freedoms. And don't get me started about the Bush's war in Iraq! I don't have to agree with his policies to make my point. We shouldn't use our military in a stupid manner either. But if you have contempt for people involved with defending our country because that involves violence then you are like the person who likes to eat the sausage or the steak but you hate the butcher who makes it for you because he had to slaugther the cow to make it possible for you to enjoy it. Again, dont tell me about our current moron in the office. This argument is bigger than that president's blunderous term in office. In my mind there are two kinds of pacifists. The first kind are the real deal. They are not afraid of danger but they cannot bring themselves to kill another human no matter what. These people usually became medics or served their country in some other important and useful way, like fighting forest fires. But they were not cowards, they simply had a strong conscience. The other type were those who really did not want to face danger and so they hid behind the pacifist label. I respect the first kind, I have total disregard for the second. Soldier does not equal nazi, or babykiller. As you write back to this I only ask that no matter what you say that you would at least remember that the Bill of Rights including the 1st Amendment only came into being after a long and bloody war with Britain.