Global protest marks one year of war

Local peace proponent arrested at downtown rally

By Elizabeth Leffall

Peace Fresno Secretary Ken Hudson was arrested Saturday afternoon in downtown Fresno before the start of an anti-war rally.

Hudson, an organizer of the event which called for the end of occupation in Iraq, defied local authorities commanding him to step back during a dispute with protest opponent and Free Republic member John Kaza.

Fresno County Sheriff Sgt. Mark Bray said, “We were disbursed to a dispute. I gave the gentleman [Hudson] three opportunities to move back, he refused.”

Hudson was immediately booked and taken to the Fresno County Jail. Police said he would be cited for disturbing the peace. He was later released.

Kaza said Hudson and was trying to stop him from exercising his own opinions about the war.

“ Hudson tried to stop me from taking pictures and made up a bunch of accusations,” Kaza said. “I am against rallying in public to give our enemies support. That can be mis-interpreted by terrorists.”

At the end of their march to Courthouse Park, peace activists rallied around the police car detaining Hudson, shouting and protesting the arrest.

“ This is what democracy looks like,” they chanted.

PeaceFresno Vice-President Camille Russell said she wanted either the immediate release of Hudson or a reason for his arrest.

“ Our mission today is to end the occupation of Iraq, to bring the troops home. This [the arrest] is just a ploy to disturb a campaign for freedom, this is what we’re fighting, we don’t want a police state,” Russell said.

Despite the arrest marking the beginning of the event, Russell said the demonstration was “the loudest protest rally this city has seen since the ‘70s.”

In recognition of Global Day of Action, a worldwide protest of U.S. occupation in Iraq, protestors chanted, “Lies, lies, lies, Bush lies.” Bold letters declared crowd sentiments on signs reading, “Operation Iraqi Liberation” and “No Blood for Oil.”

Peace Fresno supporter Dr. Ali Rezapour said that the rally gave people a chance to voice opinions not

typically heard in the media.

“ I think this is a face-off. This is true democracy at its best,” Rezapour said. “These voices being suppressed by mainstream media should be recognized by the nation. The elite waged the war, but the poor is fighting it.”

Salvador Sandoval, a Fresno State graduate student representing the Merced chapter of the Labor Party,

was joined by his wife Gloria to support and promote universal health care.

“ We are a constructive movement,” Sandoval said. “The war is destructive.”

The protest ended with a rally in Courthouse Park that included entertainment by Reggae-influenced band Green Machine and Super fluid Helium #3, a progressive indie rock band.

Rally speakers included a local Mennonite minister and Pablo Rodriguez, a representative from the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

Alvaro Romero, 24, a member of the Green Party, said he was pleased with Fresno’s attempt to become politically involved.

“ I just wish it was on a larger scale,” Romero said.