[newsfromthenetwork] Diane Lopez-Hughes Released!

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Diane Lopez-Hughes is Free! by SOA Watch We are very happy to announce that Diane Lopez-Hughes, one of the SOAW 11, was released yesterday after serving 45 days in Muscogee County Jail for her nonviolent witness against the SOA/WHINSEC during the November 2007 Vigil. Diane and the SOAW 11 were arrested on Sunday, November 18 after carrying the protest to close the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) onto the Fort Benning Military Reservation, publicly defying the laws which prevent political speech on military bases and making a bold call for justice and accountability. The eleven appeared in federal court in Columbus on January 28, 2008 and received sentences that ranged from 30 to 90 days in federal prison. Diane chose to serve her sentence immediately. Most of the remaining SOAW 11 will be reporting to prison on April 3, 2008. The following text is a portion of her statement given to the court: "As the daughter of a Guatemalan father, I am a member of an extended family that has experienced both sides of the conflict in that tortured country. In the late nineteenth century my grandfather was a general in the Guatemalan army. His mother was an indigenous woman. So my relatives have included those who have been repressed and those who have directly participated in the repression. And my own government trains Guatemalan soldiers in techniques that support the repression, disappearance and murder of their own citizens and those who would help them in their quest for a better life and just treatment. And I believe that the attitude that allows this practice is also responsible for our domestic and foreign policy that disrespects individuals and promotes injustice." Read more about Diane Lopez-Hughes Read more about the SOAW 11

Make a Donation For SOA Watch to become a movement that has the power to make real change and to close the SOA/WHINSEC once and for all, the organization needs your financial support. Every dollar is needed. Please take a moment now to make a donation. Thank you! Local SOA Watch Groups New DVD: On The Line On the Line is an inside look at the people behind one of the largest nonviolent movements in America today: the movement to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC. In a world where politics, passion, and Constitutional rights collide, protesters discuss their activism, the dark side of U.S. foreign policy, and the challenges of protesting since 9/11. (55 min.) - Click here to order it now for only $20 incl. shipping and handling

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