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Twelve of the 13 were cited for trespassing and released, including Eileen Hanson, 34, who was arrested in Winona for trespassing during a war protest at the National Guard Armory in 2006. Kathy Kelly, 54, a co-coordinator of the Chicago-based anti-war group Voices for Creative Nonviolence, was held in the Monroe County Jail on an outstanding warrant from Ashland County, Wis.
About 50 protesters marching on foot from Chicago to
St. Paul to protest the Iraq war made a stop at Fort McCoy on Sunday, Public Affairs Officer Linda Fournier said. She said the group had been denied entry into the base for security and safety reasons, but 13 of them decided to enter the base anyway.
They were warned to disperse, but when they continued walking in, officers arrested them, according to the group’s Web site. Fournier said all 13 were placed in plastic handcuffs, fingerprinted and photographed at a special inspection facility on the base.
Fournier said the group had a right to protest the war but by entering the military base, they overstepped their bounds. “It’s not that we’re against what they do, but we also have to protect the safety and security of our people.”
The Voices for Creative Nonviolence group is expected to arrive in Winona on Aug. 18, according to their Web site. The marchers plan to be in St. Paul in time for the Republican National Convention on Sept. 1-4.
Contact Kevin Behr at (507) 453-3524 or at kbehr@winonadailynews.com.
