Seven Protesters Arrested at Blackwater’s Headquarters
Seven people were arrested Saturday at Blackwater Worldwide’s front entrance after protesters re-enacted the Sept. 16 shooting incident in Baghdad involving Blackwater contractors in which 17 Iraqis died.
It was the first protest at the 10-year-old private military company’s headquarters, a reflection of its heightened profile since the Baghdad shootings stirred Iraqi anger and created a diplomatic crisis for Blackwater’s client, the U.S. State Department.
The protesters drove a small gray station wagon, covered with simulated bullet holes and smeared with red paint, onto Blackwater’s property. One lay back in the driver’s seat and five others got out and lay on the ground, as if they had been shot.
The scene was intended to mimic that in Baghdad’s Nisour Square, where an Iraqi doctor and her son died in a fusillade of gunfire as their car approached a Blackwater diplomatic convoy.
The protesters also smeared red handprints on two Blackwater signs.
Currituck County sheriff’s deputies, called to the scene by Blackwater guards, told the protesters they were on private property and asked them to leave. When they didn’t respond, they were handcuffed and placed in a sheriff’s van. Some went limp and had to be dragged.
A crowd of about 50 more protesters who had gathered along the adjacent public road cheered as the seven were driven away. The group carried signs with slogans such as “Bring Blackwater to Justice,” “Security Contractors are Unlawful Combatants” and “Blackwater: Shoot First, Ask No Questions.”
The six re-enactors arrested were Steve Baggarly of Norfolk; Beth Brockman of Durham, N.C.; Mark Colville of New Haven, Conn.; Peter DeMott of Ithaca, N.Y.; Laura Marks of Ayden, N.C.; and Bill Streit of Louisa County, Va. They were charged with second-degree trespassing, injury to real property and resisting arrest.
A seventh protester, Mary Grace of Madison County, Va., was arrested after the re-enactment when she walked onto Blackwater’s property and knelt on the pavement. She was charged with second-degree trespassing.
The protest was organized by the Norfolk Catholic Worker and Blackwater Watch, an activist group based in Durham, N.C.
Christian Stalberg, a spokesman for Blackwater Watch, said the group’s aim is to “shut down Blackwater.”
“It’s an unmitigated disaster,” he said. “They’re irresponsible and totally unaccountable.”
DeMott, who described himself as a Vietnam War veteran, said he was willing to risk arrest because “not to raise my voice would be to tacitly condone Blackwater and its murderous activities.”
Blackwater has said its security contractors reacted appropriately to an insurgent ambush on Sept. 16. The Iraqi government says the shootings were unprovoked and that those killed were innocent civilians.
Anne Tyrrell, a Blackwater spokeswoman, said of the protest: “People who haven’t seen any findings from the FBI investigation that’s under way are rushing to judgment and doing so, apparently, in violation of some laws.”
After the protesters dispersed, the station wagon was towed away and the red handprints on Blackwater’s bear-claw logo sign were painted over. The other defaced sign was taken down.
© 2007 The Virginia Pilot
Prince and cohorts are murderers and war criminals - pure and simple; the inconceivable part of this plot is that our government (e.g. State Department) has contracted with these miscreants.
Tell me folks - what type of society or culture creates humans who think it is ‘cool’ to kill other humans? If these bastards were in open society they were be incarcerated for the rest of their lives. And as for never having lost one of their subjects - that is not only a meaningless statement, but a profoundly obscene one when we considered how many innocents they have killed in the course of their ‘work.’ It’s Bush’s private army - no oversight - no accountability - not even to the military.
God bless those who had the courage and integrity to go to Nazi headquarters in Moyock, N.C. and confront the devil.
Dick Cheney’s private security force, indeed.
How about an international tribunals for these people, Prince and Co. Lets have the UN take over in Iraq, kik the US out and send the US the bill to pay for the reconstruction. That is what I do with my 5 years old, count to 3 and then time out. It is time for time out for the “USA, USA,USA like the Republicans chant so well.
I’m a WWII vet and live in the soggy Northwest, but I envy what these folks did and can only hope that I could do the same, given the chance. This is what it’s going to take, this and a whole lot more. In any other so-called “democratic” country, people would have taken to the streets en masse to protest this government and its hired lackeys. Eric Prince purports to be a “Christian,” but he gives the lie to that concoction in his body language and smirk and by his every act and statement. His fundamentalist Christian beliefs should be considered more terrorizing than any Islamic militant on jihad because Prince is here, among us, and will do whatever he’s paid to do or have his minions to it, all in the name of corporate profit and in support of his “Christian” agenda. I fear it will take years of civic disobedience, such as these folks displayed, only on a grander scale before the “corporatization” of the United States, such as this is, can be stopped.
Is this Prince a Frog in disguise? These baby butchers have no right to the air real people breath.
The hired guns of Blackwater need to be shut down. Mr. Prince says they are not mercenaries because mercenaries fight for other countries (for pay). Oh? They do “fight”, they do kill, and they do get paid $350/day (double that because Blackwater gets about $350 too). I did not say they could be hired and be paid with my tax dollars. They kill for pay and it’s that simple. My thanks to the people who spoke out peacefully at Blackwater headquarters in Virginia. And gratitude and respect.
I agree that Erik Prince ought to be tried (even if it is in front of an international tribunal court), convicted, and publicly hanged. Any other complicit Blackwater employees too, ought to be tried and imprisoned for the rest of their lives. We need to set a precedent in this country and for the world to see that the behavior of these Bible-thumping, renegade merecenaries juiced on steroids who randomly shoot civilians will no longer be tolerated! Good for the protesters!
decoy–someone or something used to draw attention away from another
Erik Prince–decoy
George W. Bush–decoy
Dick Cheney–decoy
Nancy Pelosi–decoy
Steny Hoyer–decoy
All current presidential wannabes except for Kucinich, Gravel, and Ron Paul–decoys
Wall Street–real target in need of protesting, disruption, and confrontation.
Oh, for one good piece of undercover video showing Prince doing drugs right before engaging in gay sex with a minor…
The protesters against Blackwater are heroes and true patriots! For love of country! Thank you!
Let’s hope hope this is the beginning of the end for Blackwater. Mr. Erik Prince and his band of murderous, blood-thirsty, thugs needs to be taken to the Hague to stand trial for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity. Eric Prince is the head of a criminal enterprise. He needs to face justice; and the sooner the better.
Blackwater and other “contractors” such as KBR are only allowed to act in defense. They are not military. They ARE in a foreign country- Iraq. Attacks make them mercenaries and outside the law, “unlawful combatants.” Whatever investigations are still ongoing, the evidence has been verified at least two different ways so far that there was nobbody attacking them. Even if there had been an initial mistake, there is no way that shooting people trying to escape all around the square and then commencing on a busload of civilians too is justifiable. I am amazed that nobody is questioning Chief Operating Officer and general counsel of Blackwater’s parent company, The Prince Group, Joseph Schmitz, Jeb Bush’s brother-in-law, about this and the many other incidents attacking civilians that have been making it so much more difficult for our military.
If Blackwater is to be the Praetorian guard for the psychotics in Washington; and, be their protection, — like the Praetorians, they can be their ‘unprotection’ too. It would seem that it is just a matter of money.
Something that disturbs me here is that it seems what I might call active civil disobedience is the only kind of protest that has “traction” any more. Traditional forms of protest, marches and public meetings have been more or less neutered by “free speech zones” and generally keeping protests distant from the object of protest.
Rapid advances in what is called “crowd control” technology coupled with a general demonization of protest against gov’t approved policy are not only scary, they are threats to the democratic processes themselves.
Private security firms have a long history of serving the interests of big money in brutal fashion here in the US and in South America, from union busting to out right counter revolutionary operations.
In general, the use of mercenary force is a sign of a degenerating empire.
Close the School of Americas, shut down Blackwater, the World Bank, and lock the door to the White House. Rid these fine buildings of the cockroaches that linger and infect our socieity with their evil.
Support John Edwards for president in 2008 and get rid of Blackwater and all the other crooked Republicans in DC. Prince should be tried, and sent to prison for lying, stealing and murder.
To: Ouida:
Edwards is all right and would make a good, honest president. He does not, however, play with the right people and has virtually no chance to win. That is our problem. The candidates who are the best are rarely seen. How many times have you seen Richardson, Kucinich, Dodds and Biden talking vs Hillary and Obama, either of whom, it is now apparent, will do or say anything to get nominated?
The Press is in control and there is not much we can do about it except to think individually.
I can’t stand the thought or idea of revolution, but we have to come up with something legal which will put the skids to most of the people who are running, but don’t stand a chance.
Either that, or quit the bitching, because we are lost, and every day we lose a little more.
Jack London saw all this coming a hundred years ago in his book IRON HEEL: “Another great institution that had taken form and was working smoothly was the Mercenaries. This body of soldiers had been evolved out of the old regular army and was now a million strong, to say nothing of the colonial forces. The Mercenaries constituted a race apart. They dwelt in cities of their own which were practically self-governed, and they were granted many privileges. By them a large portion of the perplexing surplus was consumed. They were losing all touch and sympathy with the rest of the people, and, in fact, were developing their own class morality and consciousness.”
Hoa binh
Was watching a newscast a few nights ago that Prince was on. I’d always imagined the head of Blackwater as another Cheney-type. Imagine my shock when what I saw instead was Adolf Hitler. Then my head cleared and I saw the real Prince, but could still see Hitler in his features, with the shock of hair hanging over one side of his forehead.
The protesters should be thanking their gods that Blackwater was not ‘defending’ their own headquarters. Given the Blackwater propensity for unprovoked massacre, what do you think could have happened?
Erik Prince gave perjured testimony. Why isn’t he in prison?
Glad you guys picked up this article. Good folks on the line. The ones held like Steve Baggerky., Laura Marks and Bill Striet are those with records for civil disobedience. When I know a trial date and place, I’ll post it.
As they phase Blackwater out of Iraq, they will come here.Won’t that be fun?
Our very own Gestapo/SS!
Read Naomi Wolf’s “The End of America” and Naomi Klein’s “The Shock Doctrine.” and get ready for the catastrophic disaster the US is likelyto become!
Read Scahill’s book, “Blackwater” - the mercenary dept is the least of our worries:
“Another recognizable name in Blackwater (he’s #2, directly under Prince,) is Coffer Black, a CIA veteran whose claim to fame was bringing in international terrorist Carlos the Jackal from Sudan. During the 9/11 attacks, he led the CIA’s counterterrorism center. He is also noted for his direction of extraordinary renditions…”
“Coffer Black is leading Blackwater efforts to tap into the market of privatized intelligence with another Blackwater company man, former CIA deputy director Robert Richer.”
Crazy Christian warriors with intel contracts from the Pentagon, NSA, DSI, CIA, FBI, NCO, et al. And, apparently, immunity from all laws of the known universe.
God’s still blessin’ this country? Really?
jubalee said, “The hired guns of Blackwater need to be shut down. Mr. Prince says they are not mercenaries because mercenaries fight for other countries (for pay). Oh? They do “fight”, they do kill, and they do get paid $350/day (double that because Blackwater gets about $350 too). I did not say they could be hired and be paid with my tax dollars. They kill for pay and it’s that simple. My thanks to the people who spoke out peacefully at Blackwater headquarters in Virginia. And gratitude and respect.”
Remember, the KKK did the same thing in this country for many years, for little or no pay. They seemed to have the same motivation though and the same “Christian” beliefs.
If We the People don’t get rid of this gang and their hired goons soon, the USA is cooked, except as a name.
Wow..just went to the Constitution Party website. I know folks have some far out ideas about the way things ought to be, but what is contained there is truly frightnening and very organized! Of course Blackwater is a pox and should absolutely be eliminated. My fear is how deeply entrenched they are with our current administration (special detention sites for all of US??).
Dreaming of and working for peace.
Oh, my, you must go to (remembering FEMA is now Homeland Security):
www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/FEMA-Concentration-Camps3sept04.htm
There you will find “FEMA Concentration Camps: Locations and Executive Orders.”
The first line tells it all:
“There are over 800 prison camps in the United Sates, all fully operational and ready to receive prisoners. They are all staffed and even surrounded by full-time guards, but they are all empty. These camps are to be operated by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) should Marial Law need to be implemented in the United States and all it would take is a presidential signature on a proclmation and the attorney general’s signature on a warrent to which a list of names is attached….”.
Happy reading. It was an eye opener. Now I use Google Earth to find them. Fun…also hoping someone will be able to get me out when I am dragged into one, kicking and screaming!! (Maybe I’ll be alerted by a “friend” and head for the hills first. Yeah! and by then I’ll have a beard on this fair face!!)
link doesn’t work Gem…
lucas,
I went to the CP’s website. Their Preamble is a crock of shit, and loaded with inaccuracies. I sent them an email asking where the words “God” and “Christianity” actually appear in the Constitution. It will be interesting to see their reply.
The citizens of this country have become veal,unwilling and unable to put up a fight. They would much rather hear and read about Paris and Britney then do what is right.By the time they awaken it will be too late because everybody will be speaking Spanish,Russian or Chinese.We are all witnessing the fall of the US Empire.
This could be the new Pinkertons.
However, since passage of the Anti-Pinkerton Act in 1893, federal law has stated that an “individual employed by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, or SIMILAR AGENCY, may not be employed by the Government of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia.”
IS THIS LAW STILL ON THE BOOKS?
While they would be nowhere without Wall Street, buzz-cut snotnosed finkocrat killers like Erik Prince trained using the common wealth need to be arrested and executed along with his steroid-enhanced moral monstrosities.
those people have my vote - go team!!!!
Erik Prince is an evangelical Christian and a darling of the radical Republican redneck religious right, the sort of folks would want to rewrite Palm Sunday with Jesus arriving in an armor plated, machine-gun bristling Humvee with an M16 in His hands, a diamond Rolex on His wrist and a wallet full of cash and premium credit cards.
These seven people are my heroes.
“By the time they awaken it will be too late because everybody will be speaking Spanish,Russian or Chinese.”
If everybody in this country spoke at least one of those languages, we’d be in better shape than we are right now, given the functional literacy rate in the US…the problem isn’t the erosion of national identity - which if anything, it’s good that it’s eroding, given what God and The Flag represents, as in a more or less watered down symbol of fascism - it’s capitalism. If you think this is some kind of left-wing lunacy, you would be wrong.
Don’t agree? No worries - but consider this: do you really think Eric Prince and his cohorts would be running Blackwater if there wasn’t hand over fist money to be made? How about Haliburton, or your friendly price gouging HMO? Fascism = dictatorial governmental control wed with corporations. How is that not what we already have, and how is it not capitalist?
Making a Killing
Most of us know there are several ways to kill people.
The intention can simpley be a desire to get out of debt.
Pay the car-off. Get the first-and-last together for an apartment in a better part of town.
Move-up.
It could be semi-spontaneous, just a simple thrust/urge for a quick, once in a life-time, life-time enhancement profit.
Even an explosive statement for a non-profit cause, can be a motivation.
Sometimes people will only act in self-defense, either real or imagined, for themselves, or, if they prefer the broader view, the Nation.
There are numerous murderous acts, some advisible for only the very fleet-of-foot, and, then again, there are those engineered only for those with limited mobility, or the upward bound. Many agree with the priniciple of equal-opportunity murder for most occassions.
Quickly, slowly, with torture, without, what does it matter, how the goose is cooked.
Sometimes before Christmas, sometimes after Ramadan, sometimes in the middle of Hanukkah, or an ‘Election Cycle.’
There is no ‘written in stone’ here.
Look at history. Mao to WOW!!!!, what a country!!!!!!! Change is the only constant.
Look at the Blackwater Group.
One day, tap-tap, they are paying off their daughters orthodontics bill, boom-boom, just by being at the right intersection at the right time.
The next thing you know owner Prince, according to the Wall Street Journal, says: “Blackwater no longer cares much about its security business; it is expanding into a “full spectrum” defense contractor offering a “one-stop shop” for everything from remotely piloted blimps to armoured trucks.” Can you imagine? War Wal-Mart?
As if solo, free-lance killers, have limited-long-term-product-leverage-potential, with the attendant risk for limited growth, which in turn, is inappropriate for a major participant fully committed to world hegemony, by first-quarter fiscal 2009, and is, particularly, on a individualist basis, ill-situated, and inappropriate as a species generator for the immediate, or foreseeable future-based standard-income enlargement requirements of 5.9%, based on Standard and Poor.
So we, (until, or unless, one or more of us, is found to be one of those with-out-a-home-individuals, and consequently with few options, in the short run for life, or what-ever) shall search, by any way sanctioned by the state or it’s corporate representatives, to improve our condition, and move forward, to stay out of the noon-day Mesopotamian sun, which, of course is just like out-of-the-darkness-and-into-the-light, only in reverse, so help me/you/anyone, Allah
Or, go find a better job, and sin no more. Hallelujah!
However, if you’re really interested in a respectable portfolio, being a member of any band-of-brothers, larger than a board of directors, isn’t recommended, especially if you’re signed-up for your daughters choice of schools..
And if it’s true the US has spent more than ‘enough’ to ‘rebuild’ Iraq, which still has no completely functioning electrical grid, maybe enough is enough, voltive candles not withstanding.
Perhaps Smart-Money would say: Cut-And-Run.
Bring all private DOD contractors and all branches of the military home.
Have a DOD contracter build a genuine replica of the Roman Coliseum, worthy of the occassion , and let them have at it.
Sell Tickets!!!
No nukes, no depleted uranium allowed. Winners guaranteed six season HBO series.
Q.E.D.
I know I shouldn’t have been surprised. Blackwater security called local law-enforcement, to relocate those demonstraters, because this is America, where ‘been there done that’, is as clearly understood, as John Edwards, Hillary Clinton or Eric Prince, desiring to move forward, to appear in your town, sometime soon. Watch for them.
The murderously, evil actions of the so called modern day “Christians” is proof that Satan has taken over the church.
Can’t vouch for the content, but this is the link above:
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/FEMA-Concentration-Camps3sep04.htm
I don’t believe in prisons but I do believe in cement shoes on the bottom of the tarpits
Something murky in that blackwater also known as tarpits
Mr Prince says Blackwater is not a “MERCENARY” thats a lie. He gives the definition as a foreign group hired by a foreign government. They may not be foreign in N.C. but they are definitely foreign in Iraq. Mercenary IS the correct description of the murderers from N.C.
Bill Moyers Journal had a lengthy discussion of Blackwater. I watched it last night. It is truly horrifying and definitely unAmerican and non-Christian.
If you didn’t get a chance to see it, please look at:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10192007/profile.html
Need to target the government which pays these companies bills, otherwise they will continue to exist (and at taxpayers expense).
What can we do for the arrestees? How do I become one? These guys aren’t our military. They’re a private goon squad being paid for with our tax dollars.
Look who’s talking about a “rush to judgement”: a god damn company of hired guns. I hope the Iraqis kill all of their mercenary thugs. All of them. Mercenaries are the lowest form of life there is.
And guess which military will be called out to patrol our streets and keep us in line when Bush decides there’s a catastrophe, and declares martial law?
The Bush family has a long history of war profiteering. They made money working with the nazis and now they, and Cheney et al continue to make money during these illegal wars they have started.
Is anyone asking how much money these bastards are making from the war? That goes for Clinton, Obama, McCain, Edwards, etc.
War profiteering is illegal, not that any of these people actually follow the laws they supposedly are in office to uphold.
Report from a participant.