Authorities owe protesters apology
On Aug. 20th, the DuPage County state's attorney's misdemeanor case against fellow peace activist Sarah Hartfield and me came to an end.
Last May, we were arrested on disorderly conduct charges three weeks after a demonstration during which the two of us displayed signs while standing on The Great Western Trail, a public walkway above highway I-355 in unincorporated Lombard.
Our homemade sign was about 3 feet tall by 12 feet long and read, "IMPEACH! Bush & Cheney LIARS."
Next to the sign was my U.S. flag placed upside down to signal distress. According to the United States Code, the flag should be displayed union down "in instances of extreme danger to life or property."
We believe the Bush administration lied to convince us it was necessary to send our troops into harm's way and wage war on the people of Iraq. An appropriate first step in holding President Bush and Vice President Cheney accountable would be impeachment hearings.
As a result of the unnecessary military attack, invasion, and continued occupation in Iraq, 4,146 of our brave men and women in uniform have been killed and over 30,561 wounded. Hundreds of thousands of veterans are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries.
Every week, 18 veterans suffering from psychological problems attempt suicide.
Much of Iraq has been destroyed including churches, schools, businesses, and countless homes. A severe refugee crisis exists.
The U.S. Constitution's 1st amendment guarantees us the right to peaceably assemble and to express our political views in public. As citizens of this great country, we have a duty to exercise that right, especially when our government uses deception and creates extreme danger.
Concerning the venue at which Sarah and I chose to exercise our freedom of speech, it's important to note the public walkway where we stood with our signs is bordered on both sides by nine-foot-tall chain-link fencing.
We (and our signs) were inside the fencing, not hanging or dangling on the outside.
There was absolutely no danger of us or our signs accidentally falling onto the highway below. In fact, that specific venue was attractive because it's public property, it's safe and it's highly visible to many people.
We think it's exactly the kind of place our forefathers would've suggested we use to exercise our freedom of speech.
DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett brought no less than four counts against Sarah and me during his 15-month-long attempt to prosecute us.
A variety of false charges alleged we were guilty of misdemeanors because we staged a war protest without a permit, threw unknown objects onto the highway, made alarming and disturbing throwing motions, created a traffic disturbance and diverted traffic because our signs mimicked or hid from view official traffic control devices.
After the case was dismissed, Mr. Birkett told the Daily Herald (Aug. 22) our demonstration posed a risk to public safety. "This was a traffic hazard," he said. "That's why we went forward with the complaint."
I doubt Mr. Birkett's sincerity. Our protest could not have been a traffic hazard just because he says so. There should be consequences which support his opinion and which everyone could examine, but there are none.
The state had 15 months to gather evidence, produce witnesses and prepare for the trial. In the end though, assistant State's Attorney Johnetta Sanks moved to dismiss all charges against us due to a lack of evidence.
The state's decision not to proceed with the trial shines a bright light on the true nature of the case. It had nothing to do with public safety.
It was a malicious attempt to intimidate us from expressing political opinions critical of the Bush administration. That's unacceptable behavior from our law enforcement officials.
On behalf of everyone in DuPage County who values freedom, justice, and the U.S. Constitution, I demand apologies from the DuPage County Sheriff's Department and the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.
Jeff Zurawski
Downers Grove