Arrested in peaceful protest

By MaryHelen Swanson
She was just standing up for her convictions and when she crossed the line and stepped on federal property she was arrested and thrown in jail.
North Branch resident 19-year-old Anika Walz should be on her way home by the time you read this, but the last two days have been harrowing for her and her family as she was arrested while protesting at the School of Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia, Sunday, Nov. 18.
She was one of two Minnesotans arrested when 6,000-8,000 protesters gathered outside the school last weekend. There were 500 from Minnesota in all: a bus load from St. Catherineís where Walz is a student and others from the Minneapolis area.
It was her second year at the annual protest. There was no arrest or incident last year.
Walz, a peace and justice major at St. Kateís, as the school is called, may face prison time for this arrest.
She knew that in the past protesters were arrested. She also believed, according to her father, Robert Walz of North Branch, that the punishment for first-time offense was nothing more than a slap on the hand.
Not so any more.
According to Robert Walz, his daughter could get three months or more in federal prison and a fine because of apparent changes in sentencing, most likely due to the 9/11 tragedy, he said.
Still, Robert Walz feels the punishment is excessive. It was a peaceful protest, he said, no violence, no destruction of property.
ìNothing but walking on federal land,î he said.
Robert Walz said he cautioned his daughter not to get arrested when she left last week. He said she did not plan to get arrested.
Still, he said he is proud of her and that she stands up for her convictions.
ìI am sorry that she was arrested and faces arraignment ... possible fines and even time in federal prison as a political prisoner,î he told the Post Review Monday.
ìI am even more sorry that we have reached the point that we are making political dissent illegal and that we have failed to close the School of Americas, also known as the ìSchool of the Assassins.î
Robert Walz noted that the school was almost closed last year, but that it remains open under a new name, ìWestern Hemisphere Institute on Security Operation.î
Robert Walz said that while his main concern was the safety of his daughter, he hoped that people would see this as a teachable moment.
ìI want to encourage the public to learn about the School of the Americas,î he said, ìand the role it played in the assassination of priests and bishops, as well as the rape of nuns in the name of suppressing public dissent.î
Robert Walz has talked with Sen. Mark Dayton and a federal judge in Minnesota.
Robert Walz said the judge told him that in Minnesota, the protesters would be arrested just as in Georgia if they crossed the ìline in the sand,î but that they would be released in 3 to 4 hours.
The judge, who could not give Robert Walz any legal advice, referred him to the head of public defenders.
Robert Walz had lunch with his daughter last Thursday and having had no direct conversation with Anika since then, he said is anxious to hear from her.
He said he learned of the arrest Sunday night through a phone call from a man from a legal service in Georgia. The man told Walz that a lawyer, a professor from the University of New Orleans, would be representing the two Minnesotans.
The reason for the protest for the past 12 years has been to draw attention to the School of Americas where protesters say taxpayers money is being used to train soldiers from Latin America.
The protesters say graduates of this school have been involved in raping nuns and killing priests and bishops.
About 100 protesters were arrested Sunday.
It two days to arraign all of the protesters.
Information about the School of the Americas Watch can be found at www.soaw.org.
The Web site for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation is www.benning.army.mil/whinsec.
Walz said he would keep the Post Review updated on his daughters situation.

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