Four Arrested at Rove Protest in Iowa

 

                       by Michael Gillespie

                                for The Independent Monitor, 7/28/08

 

 

 

Police officers arrested four anti-war activists who attempted to place Karl Rove under arrest for war crimes when the former political advisor to President George W. Bush spoke at a Republican fundraiser at the Wakonda Country Club in Des Moines, Iowa on July 25.

 

“Major crimes are being committed by our government, and Rove has been one of the key players.  I cannot be silent,” said Rev. Chester Guinn, a retired Methodist minister.

 

“I compare him to [Joseph] Goebbels of the Nazi regime.  He’s a propagandist, and he has sold the American people so many lies.  Our jails are full of people for minor crimes.  Here is a person who is guilty of major, major crimes, the killing of many people, the torture of people.  He needs to be brought to justice,” said Guinn.

 

Police took Guinn, 80, into custody along with Des Moines Catholic Workers Edward Bloomer, 61, Kirk Brown, 25, and Mona Shaw, 57, all of Des Moines.

 

The attempt to arrest Rove was the second for Brown and Shaw, who were placed under arrest when Rove spoke at the University of Iowa in March of this year.

 

Shaw said that since the March attempt to arrest Rove, thousands more have died in the Bush administration’s Middle East wars including 151 U.S. troops in Iraq and 284 in Afghanistan.

 

About 25 activists, including several Drake University students and other members of the Des Moines Catholic Worker community, the Catholic Peace Ministry, and other local peace and social justice organizations, staged a protest outside the gates of the Fleur Drive country club as the four who were arrested sought to enter and confront Rove.

 

“I’m here because I think Karl Rove is a murderer.  I am a lifelong Libertarian.  I’m against all their bloody wars, and that’s why I’m here today,” said Karen Tegtmeyer of Johnston, Iowa.

 

“I’m here because I think Karl Rove is the mastermind behind the invasion of Iraq.  I think he is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, not to mention millions of Iraqis, and he’s got to be held accountable,” said Jean Basinger of Des Moines.

 

“He pays no attention to the law.  He’s in contempt of Congress.  Citizens have got to say, ‘Enough is enough.’  We’ve got to call this man to account for what he has done,” said Basinger.

 

“It’s outrageous that someone like Karl Rove is not only not in jail but is commanding big bucks for fundraisers.  It says something not just about Karl Rove but about a political party that would lionize the likes of him,” said Catholic Peace Ministry Executive Director Brian Terrell.

 

“What Karl Rove did was not a mistake.  It was a crime.  Thousand and thousands have died.  This is not something that is in the past.  People will continue to die of actions inspired by Karl Rove,” said Terrell, who also noted that the war in Iraq has created millions of Iraqi refugees who have fled to Syria and Jordan and millions are displaced within the war-torn country.

 

“Rove remains unindicted and recently refused to cooperate with a Congressional subpoena in the Valerie Plame leak investigation.  Despite mounting evidence of Rove's wrongdoing concerning leading the U.S. to war as well as other actions, Congress and the U.S. judicial system remain reluctant to bring charges against either Rove or the Bush administration.  Recent evidence includes Articles of Impeachment that will again be presented by Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich tomorrow.  Vincent Bugliosi's new book The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder carefully lays out a case against Bush and his administration for war crimes and felony murder. Bugliosi was prosecutor for the Charles Manson Family murders and author of the book Helter Skelter, which dealt with that crime.

 

“Catholic Workers will work within the guidelines of the Iowa Code that obligate citizens to make such an arrest if they believe a felony has been committed and turn Rove over to police officials to bring Rove before a judge for formal indictment.  By law, a federal judge should consider the charges and determine if an indictment should be made,” said Des Moines Catholic Workers in press release dated July 24.

 

Bloomer, Brown, Shaw, and Guinn were arrested for trespassing by officers of the Des Moines Police Department and transported to the city jail where they were cited and released.

Protesters at the gates of the Wakonda Country Club in Des Moines                                                   Photo by Michael Gillespie