Fort McCoy protesters fined (WI)

Published - Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Fort McCoy protesters fined
By Kevin Murphy | Special to the Tribune

MADISON — Twelve peace activists were fined in federal court Monday for trespassing last summer at Fort McCoy.

Members of Voices for Creative Nonviolence were arrested in August at the main gate of the 67,000-acre military installation during a walk from Chicago to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

The activists said they wanted to tell soldiers at Fort McCoy their training would leave them woefully unprepared for what they would face in Iraq.

During Monday’s two-hour trial, defendants often said they were exercising their First Amendment right to speak and peacefully assemble. It was the government that broke the law by conducting an immoral war and continuing to call up guard units after Congressional authorization has expired, said Joy First, 54, of Madison ...

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2009/01/13/news/z01mccoy13.txt