Reverend, Marine Mom Hurt by Police in Separate Incidents.
Rev. LENNOX YEARWOOD Jr.
Yearwood is president of the Hip Hop Caucus. A statement from the group says: “Rev. Yearwood was attacked by six Capitol police [Monday], when he was stopped from entering the Cannon Caucus Room on Capitol Hill, where Gen. Petreaus gave testimony … to a joint hearing for the House Arms Services Committee and Foreign Relations Committee on the war in Iraq.
“After waiting in line throughout the morning for the hearing that was scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m., Rev. Yearwood was stopped from entering the room, while others behind him were allowed to enter. He told the officers blocking his ability to enter the room that he was waiting in line with everyone else and had the right to enter as well. When they threatened him with arrest he responded with ‘I will not be arrested today.’ According to witnesses, six Capitol police, without warning, ‘football tackled’ him. He was carried off in a wheelchair by D.C. Fire and Emergency to George Washington Hospital.”
Rev. Yearwood said before he was detained: “The officers decided I was not going to get in Gen. Petreaus’ hearing when they saw my button, which says ‘I LOVE THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ.'”
The incident was recorded by an observer and is available on YouTube and WhyNotNews.
TINA RICHARDS
Based in D.C., Richards is the director of Grass Roots America and the mother of former Marine Cloy Richards. She was injured and hospitalized after being arrested by police in an incident last week.
The Washington Post reported on Friday: “More than a dozen police officers converged at a corner of Lafayette Square yesterday, bringing with them a horse and extra handcuffs.
“Their target: a handful of demonstrators who had gathered to post two signs on an electrical box advertising a protest march Sept. 15 against the Iraq war.
“During a clash that drew a crowd during lunchtime, two demonstrators, including an Iraq war veteran and the mother of another veteran, were arrested on charges of defacing public property. Police charged a third protester with impeding an officer.”
A YouTube video of her news conference and arrest has been viewed more than 50,000 times on YouTube.
A video of Richards questioning Rep. David Obey, head of the House Appropriations Committee, earlier this year has been viewed more than 160,000 times on YouTube.
Further information on the incident is at “Police break up anti-war meeting in Washington” by AFP.
More Information
For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167.
