Shouts of ‘war criminal’ disrupt Rumsfeld speech

Four anti-war activists disrupted a speech by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld at the Atlanta History Center on May 4. They included members of World Can’t Wait, the International Action Center, and the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition. Their action was reported in media around the world.

Gloria Tatum of IAC confronts Rumsfeld.

Rumsfeld is one of the chief architects of the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, along with other neoconservatives like Vice President Dick Cheney. Rumsfeld also supports the use of torture and domestic spying in the U.S. “war on terror.”

As the top civilian in the Pentagon, he has publicly stated that he does not rule out using nuclear weapons against Iran. Despite intense criticism of Rumsfeld for failing to “win” in Iraq, much of it coming from military and other right-wing quarters, President George W. Bush has continued to defend his policies. The existence of this internal conflict fueled the worldwide media attention given to the disruption and to the sharp questions directed at Rumsfeld.

Almost as soon as Rumsfeld began giving his written remarks, a small, dark-haired woman leaped to her feet, holding a piece of cloth with the words, “Guilty of War Crimes.” She began denouncing the secretary’s role in the illegal war on Iraq and the use of torture at Guantanamo and other, often secret, prison camps. The crowd began booing and yelling. The banner was wrested from her hands as security rushed her out of the room.

As Rumsfeld resumed his prepared speech, a man named Randy Aronov, who had been sitting in a center seat toward the front, stood up and turned his back. Every time Rumsfeld looked up from his notes, Aronov’s silent rebuke was in his range of vision, disconcerting the speaker and the audience. Security did not prevent Aronov from standing throughout the speech.

Minutes later, 62-year-old Gloria Tatum rose from her seat and shouted out a list of lies told to the U.S. public to gain support for the war. Holding a cloth sign that read, “Rumsfeld: Serial Liar,” she raised the false claims by Rumsfeld that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons capability and links to terrorism. A video of her being hit from behind and dragged out of the room was shown on news programs internationally.

Later in his prepared remarks, Rumsfeld was again cut off by the loud voice of a young man who declared him a “war criminal” and was quickly removed from the room.

In the question-and-answer period, audience members lined up at the microphones. Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern grilled Rumsfeld on his pre-war statements about the existence of WMD in Iraq. When the Pentagon chief denied making such remarks, McGovern quoted his exact words and gave the date and location. This revealing exchange went on for several minutes, with Rumsfeld becoming increasingly inconsistent and incoherent in his responses.

McGovern, in town for another event, had been encouraged to come to the speech by protest organizers to add another voice to the action. A high-ranking member of the CIA for 27 years, he has been vocal in his criticism of the Bush administration’s drive for war, claiming that it had ignored CIA intelligence and manufactured the rationale for the invasion. McGovern said he had been inspired to ask his questions because of the disruptions and Rumsfeld’s denial of the truth.

According to IAC member Tatum, the Rumsfeld speech was “the only time the public has ever had a chance to go to something in Atlanta with a top Bush official. Usually they are invitation only and the audience is hand-picked to be sure no real questions are asked. As soon as we found out about it being open, we got tickets.”

In addition, a picket line outside the History Center, located in the wealthy Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, got much attention. Among the protesters were members of Iraq Veterans against the War and Veterans for Peace. Several people were dressed in orange jumpsuits with hoods over their faces, representing the prisoners tortured at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and elsewhere.

Banners and signs demanded that all troops be brought home now and no new war be waged on Iran. The positive response the demonstration got from many passing by in their cars was taken note of in the local news.