Grassroots Action

As was reported here back in March, 250 peace activists brought the costs of the war to their local mall, and 2 of them were arrested.

According to the statement released today by the organizers, all charges against the two were dismissed: "It was a victory for the peace movement in Long Island when charges were dropped against two peace activists arrested during the demonstration at the Smith Haven mall at the time of the 4,000th dead American soldier. Susan McKeon-Steinmann, arrested for refusing to leave the center of the mall while reading the names of dead American soldiers had charges dismissed by the Suffolk County District Attorney's office "in the interest of justice."

Don Zirkel, whose arraignment was in the afternoon, was arrested for refusing to remove a tee shirt in the mall which said 4000 Americans, 1 million Iraqi Dead, and on the back - Enough. There were three splotches of red paint on the shirt symbolizing the blood that has been needlessly spent on this war. Don's charges were also dismissed.

There were forty to fifty people in both the morning and afternoon arraignments as we "Put the war on trial" in the parking lot. Both arrestees gave statements to the press which are currently listed on You Tube, just google the names.

Susan was planning on asking for a jury trial with the higher law defense. She and Don stated that the New York law should be changed to be put more in line with New Jersey and California in which malls are considered public spaces not private property.

During the busy Memorial Day weekend Pax Christi had its usual Memorial Day witness for peace at the Jones Beach air show. Almost one hundred people participated. In Bellport South Country Peace group walked in the Memorial Day Parade as it has done for over twenty years, and out East in the Hamptons, the names of the dead were read aloud.

"Reading the names aloud is an act of defiance in itself, Susan stated, since this Administration's policy is to use the soldiers for their own purposes while their corporate cronies make billions. They want us to walk as though we are drugged through the malls of America paying no attention that American troops and scores of Iraqis are dying everyday. The names of the dead should be read in all the malls in America as we defy this immoral war since saving human life is a higher law than shopping."