[CPEO-MEF] Authorities Arrest Vieques Protesters

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000504/ts/puertorico_vieques_13.html  
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Authorities Arrest Vieques Protesters

By Jim Loney

VIEQUES, Puerto Rico (Reuters) - U.S. agents on Thursday arrested 
several dozen protesters at the gates of a U.S. military base on the 
Puerto Rican island of Vieques, moving to end a yearlong siege by
demonstrators demanding an end to U.S. military exercises and bombing on 
the island.

The protesters, including U.S. lawmakers and a Catholic priest, had been 
expecting the move by FBI agents and U.S. marshals for weeks and put up 
no resistance to the predawn action. Other protesters camped out on the 
bombing range at the base were also being removed, U.S. officials said.

The arrests marked a move by the U.S. government to end the occupation 
of Camp Garcia, which began more than a year ago, shortly after an 
errant bomb killed a civilian security guard at the base.

Protesters have demanded the U.S. Navy stop bombing at Vieques, clean up 
toxic chemicals and unexploded ordnance at the base and return the land 
to the people of the island.

``This is a grand victory for the people of Vieques,'' protest leader 
Robert Rabin called out over a bullhorn to a crowd of about 100 people 
before he and the other protesters were led away.

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