Spc. Melanie McPherson photo by: Star Tribune

The day before she was to fly to Kuwait for military assignment in Iraq, Specialist Melanie McPherson walked away from Fort Bliss, Texas, and hitchhiked home to Minnesota.

"Please fly without me," said the note she left behind in her barracks locker. "I love my country. I was hoping to use my God-given talent, not just be a bullet catcher."

photo by Catherine Ryan / lunaproductions.com

The first woman GI to publicly take a stand against the war was released from the military brig last week after completing her sentence.On May 23, 2006 Katherine was court-martialed for refusing to train with weapons and received a bad conduct discharge and a sentence of 120 days imprisonment. With credit for time served awaiting court martial, Katherine had to serve 47 more days in prison. Katherine sent this message to her supporters after her release .

Katherine will return to school at the University of Texas at Austin and continue her work with the newly founded Austin GI Rights Hotline.

" First United Methodist Church of Tacoma has declared itself a sanctuary for servicemen and servicewomen who don't want to go to Iraq." by Mike Barber, Seattle Post-Intelligencer. June 15, 2005

photo by: Eric Wagner

In celebration of GI Resistance, and ALL war resisters, local artists, high school students, senior citizens, musicians, and community members led a spirited rally and march to the local recruting center. As the march drew close to the recruiting center a few marchers unrolled and pasted large posters to the recruiting center windows with messages  "Resist, Don't Enlist" and "Support GI Resistance to War and Empire."

• Photos,Video, and Reports 

“The only way to bring peace to the world is to let the people of the world decide for themselves what they want to spend their efforts on. I feel that in this day and age governments start wars, and not people, and since the governments want the wars then why don’t we let the government fight the war? All of the politicians that want to fight a war are free to trade places with me at any time. I will gladly go and learn war no more.” -Sgt. Kevin Benderman.

After serving in the military for eight years, including a tour of duty in Iraq, Kevin Benderman filed for conscientious objector status in December 2004. His application was quickly denied, and on the weekend of Jan. 7, 2005 Benderman refused to re-deploy to Iraq with his unit.

Sergeant Kevin Benderman was sentenced by U.S. court-martial on July 28th, 2005 to a 15 month sentence of imprisonment for failure to return for a second tour of duty with the US Army in Iraq. Kevin is a conscientious objector to war who has been callously imprisoned and refused his C.O. status by the U.S. Armed Services. Kevin’s legal team continues appeals of the verdict.

Prisoner of conscience: RAF doctor who refused Iraq service is jailed. Flt Lt Malcolm Kendall-Smith was yesterday jailed for refusing to serve in Iraq.
by Kim Sengupta The Independant, UK  Published April 14, 2006

• Mother of Jailed Resister, Malcom Kendall-Smith, Speaks Out
  

• SAS Soldier Quits Army in Disgust at "Illegal" American Tactics in Iraq

• Are British Trops at the Breaking Point in Iraq?

"Retired generals are speaking out against this war and the civilian leadership that thought it up and messed it up." by Erin Solaro, Seattle Post Intelligencer April 16, 2006

•  Behind the Military Revolt
   April 16,  2006

• Generals versus Rumsfeld    
  

A Day of Action in Support of Conscientious Objectors and War Resisters!

Courage to Resist is calling for groups, organizations, and individuals around the country to take up May 15th as a day of action in support of conscientious objectors and war resisters!

There are actions currently scheduled in Washington D.C., New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, there will be two days of events:

• On  May 14, Mothers Day,  there will be an "Afternoon of Performance Art and Short Films"  to celebrate resistance to military recruiting and the growing opposition to war from witin the military at the Parkway Theatre in Oakland,CA with, Aimee Allison, headRush, Teatro del FEO and more!!

• On May 15 there will be a rally, a march to a local military recruiting station, and non-violent direct action  highlighting youth and members of the community directly affected by military policies     

    Press Release

•   A week of actions titled Operation Refuse War will be held in New York City and Washington D.C.,   featuring an international gathering of COs and their supporters.

Why May 15? 

For over 20 years May 15 has been celebrated as International Conscientious Objectors'  Day, a tradition of struggle spearheaded by groups affiiliated with War Resisters’ International. Each year activities are focused in a country where C.O.'s  and objectors are being harassed or persecuted. This year  the international focus is on the United States' denial of the right of soldiers to object to war.

Conscientious Objectors, GI resisters and dissent within the military deserve our support as they stand up for human rights and dignity, democratic rights, and international law.

Widespread public support and pressure can help protect these courageous individuals from feelings of isolation and from repression of them and their rights.

• What is Conscientious Objection?
  

• More History of International Conscientious Objector Day
• Conscientious Objector Sgt. Kevin Benderman still imprisoned in Ft. Lewis!
• Facing  persecution, US War Resisters seek asylum in Canada
  

On March 12, 2006 Fernando Suarez del Solar , Pablo Paredes , Camilo Mejia and Aidan Delgado led a coalition of the willing across a 241 mile quest for peace aimed at raising Latino voice of opposition to the War in Iraq! Photos and report: 241 mile California March for Peace

To mobilize and publicize resistance within the Latino community to the war in Iraq, Fernando Suarez de Solar, the father of U.S. Marine Jesus Alberto Suarez de Solar, led a historic peace march from Tijuana to San Francisco, from March 12-March 27.

Jesus Alberto was killed in the first week of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The Army lied to Fernando about the cause of his son's death and he went to Iraq to seek the truth. Since his son's death, Fernando, has become an outspoken anti-war activist.

How GI Resistance Altered The Course Of History:

“Sir, No Sir,” A Timely Film
by Paul Rockwell, In Motion Magazine Published April 3, 2006 

• Watch the Trailer!  In the 1960s, thousands of American GIs rebelled against the Vietnam War, changing the course of U.S. history and society. No film has ever told their story... until now.
  

• Bay Area World Premeire Events:  April 7- April 13

By Claudine San Nicolas, The Maui News. May 1, 2006

A former Maui man, saying he took exception to military instructions he received as he trained for deployment to Iraq, has deserted from the U.S. Marines and is in Canada seeking refugee status.

Lance Cpl. Christopher Scott Magaoay, formerly of Pukalani, said he knows he may never be able to return to U.S. soil or even see his 4-year-old son living on Maui, but he’s willing to make the sacrifice because of his opposition to the war in Iraq.

“I left my unit and came to Canada because of my beliefs,” he wrote in an e-mail to The Maui News. “Now my family has all but disowned me.

"With the United States military again engaged in immoral and unjust imperial adventures overseas, Canada is becoming home to many resisters who are resisting service in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

• Brave Hart

• Soldiers of Misfortune

• Conscientious Objectors: US War Resisters in Canada

We urge you to join us in a National GI Resistance Alert Network!
It's time for us to escalate public pressure and action in support of the thousands of courageous men and women who have in many different ways followed their conscience to uphold international law and to take a principled stand against the unjust, illegal war and occupation of Iraq.
We are asking concerned organizations, communities, and individuals to join us and commit to a sustained campaign of support for GI resistance and conscientious objection!