Media Advisory for Protest of John Yoo in Charlottesville

Protest Planned for John Yoo in Charlottesville
For Immediate Release:
CONTACT:

On March 19, 2010, in Charlottesville, Va., on the day that the war in Iraq goes into its eighth year, and as the war in Afghanistan is escalated, residents will protest John Yoo, a former Justice Department lawyer who wrote memos between 2001 and 2003 authorizing aggressive war, torture, and other crimes.

A colorful musical march will begin at the university Corner at 2 p.m.

Protesters will arrive in front of Minor Hall on the UVA campus by 3 p.m. Yoo is scheduled to speak inside Minor Hall at 3:30. [UPDATE: RALLY SITE ACROSS MCCORMICK ROAD FROM MINOR HALL NEAR MONROE HALL]

Speakers at Protest include: Cindy Sheehan (Peace of the Action), Susan Harman (National Accountability Network), Ray McGovern (Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity), Charlotte Dennett (Robert Jackson Steering Committee), Mike Ferner and Ann Wright (Veterans for Peace), Debra Sweet (World Can't Wait), Shahid Buttar (Bill of Rights Defense Committee), Nancy Mancias (CODE PINK: Women for Peace), Mark Lane (attorney).

Read more about Yoo, print flyer, find map of locations and directions, and view video promoting the protest:
http://hoosagainstyoo.org

This event is supported by After Downing Street, Backbone Campaign, Bill of Rights Defense Committee, Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, CODE PINK: Women for Peace, Defenders for Freedom Justice & Equality, Democrats.com, Joyful Dissent, May Day RVA 2010, National Accountability Action Network, Peace of the Action, Progressive Democrats of America, Socialist Party of Central Virginia, Veterans for Peace, Virginia People's Assembly, War Criminals Watch, World Can't Wait.

About John Yoo:
At the U.S. Dept. of Justice, John Yoo authored and coauthored memos authorizing aggressive war (including the Sept 25, 2001, and probably the Oct. 23, 2002, memos) as well as warrantless spying, torture, and indefinite detention, giving presidents powers to violate laws. Yoo has claimed that a president has the right to crush a child's testicles, massacre a village, or drop nuclear bombs on cities.

The Dept. of Justice found that Yoo "committed intentional professional misconduct". Spain is seeking to indict Yoo but is facing strong resistance from the White House.

Aggressive wars, torture, lawless imprisonment, and warrantless spying are continuing because Yoo and his co-conspirators have not yet been prosecuted. And they are not being prosecuted because the new president is continuing the crimes. We must raise our voices for the rule of law.

Yoo does not deny his crimes, but claims power on behalf of a president to commit them in a time of war. But war is the supreme crime, and Yoo has the blood of over a million Iraqis and Afghans on his hands. We should give Yoo what he has helped deny to thousands: a fair trial.