Community Initiates Weekly Vigils in Solidarity with Watada
by Amy L. Dalton Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007

Los Angeles Independent Media Center

Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress has initiated a regular vigil in support of Lt. Ehren Watada, who the US Army is threatening with a second court martial. The group will gather each Monday from 5:30-7:00 at the corner of Alameda and First Streets in Little Tokyo.

On Monday, a small band of anti-war protesters gathered outside at the corner of Alameda and First Streets in Little Tokyo to protest the second court-martial of Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq. The vigil was coordinated by the Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress and attended by members of the Global Women's Strike, Payday Men's Network, Military Families Speak Out, the Mark Twain Club, Whittier Peace Coalition, the International Socialist Organization, ANSWER, and others.


Mike Yanagita and David Monkawa of Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress 

Alex Todasco of Payday Men's Network
 The group plans to reconvene each Monday from 5:30-7:00 pm until further notice, or until the US Army backs down on its threat to bring Watada to a second trial. At present, Judge Benjamin Settle of the US District Court in Tacoma has issued a stay order prohibiting the Army from moving forward with the trial until at least October 26, or until further order of the court. Judge Settle argued that the second court martial amounted to double jeopardy, and was therefore in violation of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Watada's initial court-martial ended in a mistrial on February 5.

More Information: Petition from NCRR | Setp29 Alert | Interview: Lt. Watada’s lawyer and Mark Masaoka of NCRR on KPFK’s Sojourner Truth | thankyoult.org | couragetoresist.org

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2007/10/208571.php

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