Iraq war veterans charged with ‘DisCon’

Fourteen members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War attempted to present questions to presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain at their final debate in Hempstead, Long Island, N.Y., on Oct. 15. Instead of being ushered into the debate site as they requested, they were assaulted by riot police on horseback.

Iraq veteran Sgt. Nick Morgan, trampled by police horse Oct. 15 in Hempstead, N.Y. Photo: Bil Pery digitaljournal.com

One veteran, Nick Morgan, was trampled when a cop provoked his horse to spin, knocking Morgan down and trampling his face. Morgan sustained a crushing blow to his head—a cheek bone was broken in three places, and his eye socket was shattered.

Morgan was dumped in a police wagon with the other vets, until they badgered the cops to rush him to a hospital, then sent to jail. They were arraigned for “disorderly conduct” on Nov. 10 at the Nassau County District Court.

In its coverage of the Hempstead events, the New York City Independent Media Center reported on Oct. 16 that “Speakers included a member of the New York Civil Liberties Union, a local civil rights advocate, a Military Families Speak Out activist and a member of the May 1st Coalition for Immigrant and Worker Rights. As more activists from the NYC area poured in, the march to the campus of Hofstra started, with defiant chants of ‘Stop the torture, stop the war, this is what we’re fighting for,’ and ‘They’re our brothers, they’re our sisters, we support war resisters!’ filling the streets of Hempstead. With IVAW members at the front, the crowd swelled to around 400 demonstrators. Members of the local Planned Parenthood joined in along the way.”

IVAW members, backed by a crowd of anti-war protesters, were allowed to pass through one line of police before they were met with lines of Nassau County riot police and cops on horses. IVAW members Matthis Chiroux and Kris Goldsmith, who organized the protest, tried to enter the Hofstra University campus and were promptly arrested. At least three other veterans and four civilians followed and were arrested as well.

As the crowd chanted, “Let them in!” the police on horses pushed back against the crowd, which was led by a group of about 15 Iraq veterans in fatigue uniforms. After a tense standoff for several minutes, four people were knocked over by riot police and horses. It was during this fracas that Morgan was injured. After the police assault, a standoff between the cops and demonstrators occurred for more than an hour.

Chiroux, who last May publicly declared his intent to refuse to deploy to Iraq, had sent a letter to debate moderator Bob Scheiffer demanding that two IVAW members be allowed to ask the candidates one question each.

“My question is, as President of the United States of America, are you prepared to back up your own words [about the illegality of the Iraq War] and the U.S. Constitution by supporting service members refusing to participate in what you describe as an illegal occupation?”

They also wanted to ask McCain a question about his lack of support for veterans. “What promises are you willing to make, as a veteran, as a senator, as a presidential candidate, to the veterans of the United States, to prove that you will ensure the V.A. is fully funded, staffed and capable of preventing troops from suffering as they are now?”

A petition launched the day following the Hempstead incident says in part:

“We, the undersigned, denounce and condemn the violent actions and gross misconduct of the Nassau County Police Department in Hempstead, Long Island. Specifically, we are citing the unprovoked attack unleashed upon a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, who was acting within the First Amendment right to peacefully assemble on the evening of October 15, 2008 at Hofstra University, the site of the last presidential debate. ...

“We urge that all charges against the Iraq veterans and the other people arrested be dropped. ... All charges against [Morgan] must be dropped immediately, and a public apology be given by not only the Nassau County Police Department but the Mayor of Hempstead.”

To sign the petition, go to www.ipetitions.com.

At the arraignment, Chiroux said, “We were charged with disorderly conduct, to which we all plead not guilty.” But, he adds, “Here’s the dirty thing. The cops scheduled our court appearances on different days to break us up and make demonstrations that much more complicated.” What the cops did not take into account is that more demonstrations help the movement—not them.

No reports were available regarding possible civil action against the police for damages.