Huckabee Has Anti-War Protesters Arrested

December 31, 2007 · Filed Under Politics, U.S. News

Mike Huckabee called “the fuzz” on a bunch of shrill anti-war protesters today at his campaign office in Iowa. Of course, the liberal blogs are incensed by the Governor’s audacity.

Eight members of the Iowa Occupation Project and Voices for Creative Nonviolence arrived at Huckabee’s Locust St. campaign office early Monday afternoon, waiting for the former Arkansas governor’s reply to a letter delivered two months ago that sought his pledge to completely withdraw from Iraq within 100 days of assuming office; halt all military actions against Iraq and Iran; fund the rebuilding of Iraq as well as health, education and infrastructure needs in the U.S.; and “…the highest quality health care, education and jobs training benefits for veterans of our country’s Armed Services.”

Brian Terrell, director of the Catholic Peace Ministry in Des Moines, said approximately 35 reporters, including a number of international journalists, were at Huckabee’s office during the protest.

Terrell said in addition to the “Who Would Jesus Bomb?” banner, the eight protesters held signs that read, “End Iraq War” and “No War with Iran,” sang the refrain from “Auld Lang Syne,” chanted ‘Who Would Jesus Bomb?’ and then read names of Iraqis and U.S. soldiers killed in the war.

Sgt. Vincent Valdez of the Des Moines Police Department said officers responded to an early afternoon complaint from the Huckabee Campaign office and arrested Robert Braam, Mona Shaw and Kathy Kelly, on charges of trespassing. He said the three were among a group “holding signs, singing and reading aloud, basically making a disturbance.” Valdez said the officers had no trouble making the arrests and the three were taken to the Polk County jail.

Huckabee was within his rights to call “the fuzz” on the protesters. As I have said numerous times on this site, protesting is fine within reason.

It would have been perfectly acceptable for the group to stand outside Huckabee’s office for as long as they wanted and sing, picket, or smoke a peace pipe.

Where they crossed the line was going into his office to protest. It’s absurd to think you can walk into someone’s office and basically hi-jack the place and start protesting.

They were standing in his office singing, chanting, and holding signs, which undoubtedly prevented work from being done.

Having anti-war protesters thrown in the clink is doing God’s work as far as I’m concerned. I only wish there had been a couple of members of Code Pink involved.

-Chris Jones