This will be a short diary, mostly because I'm absolutely shaking with fury about this.
I just learned that Rev. Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus was arrested for standing in line to enter the Petreaus hearing.
Now if that wasn't bad enough, the rational for arresting him apparently is that there is now a limit on the number of "peace people" who can attend a hearing, according to the U.S. Capitol Police.
Rev. Lennox Yearwood was in line with many others today waiting to get into the Petreaus hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. When the line started moving shortly before the scheduled hearing time of 12:30 pm, Capitol Police stopped him from entering while let others in behind him. They told him they were only letting 7 "peace people" in and that there was no more room for him.
Understandably and correctly, Rev. Yearwood argued with the Capitol Police that he had as much right to be in the hearing room as any of the others in line. They refused to let him enter, and began moving him away from the hearing room door - at which point, all hell broke loose.
Here is the press release issued by the Hip Hop Caucus after Yearwood's release:
For Immediate Release, September 10, 2007
Hip Hop Caucus
Capitol Hill Police "football tackled" Hip Hop Activist who was in line to enter hearing room for General Petreus' testimony on Capitol Hill
Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr., president of the Hip Hop Caucus, was attacked by six capitol police today, when he was stopped from entering the Cannon Caucus Room on Capitol Hill, where General Petreaus gave testimony today to a joint hearing for the House Arms Services Committee and Foreign Relations Committee on the war in Iraq.
After waiting in line throughout the morning for the hearing that was scheduled to start at 12:30pm, Rev. Yearwood was stopped from entering the room, while others behind him were allowed to enter. He told the officers blocking his ability to enter the room, that he was waiting in line with everyone else and had the right to enter as well. When they threatened him with arrest, he responded with "I will not be arrested today."
According to witnesses, six capitol police, without warning, "football tackled" him. He was carried off in a wheelchair by DC Fire and Emergency to George Washington Hospital.
The incident was recorded by an observer and will soon be available on YouTube.
Rev. Yearwood is currently under custody at George Washington Hospital and unavailable for a statement. He is scheduled to be transferred to Central Processing.
For further information contact: Liz Havstad [contact info omitted to prevent troglodytes from interferring]
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Here is the YouTube video of the incident:
As angry as I am that Rev. Yearwood was arrested and regardless of what the circumstances or allegations concerning the actions immediately preceeding that arrest, it is the actions of the Democrats at the hearing that has my blood at a high simmer this afternoon. From The Hill:
At the beginning of the highly anticipated testimony of Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, top Democrats went out of their way to praise the two officials, ...
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) called Petraeus a good friend and labeled him and Crocker "two of America’s finest."
Skelton also moved quickly to have anti-war protesters thrown out of the crowded hearing room.
"Out they go," Skelton said when one was escorted out.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) called Crocker and Petraeus "two of our nation’s most capable public servants."
For heaven's sake, folks, this is a hearing about a damn war, a war of convenience in which thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have died -- not a f*#king love fest.
There was absolutely no justifiable reason to exclude Rev. Yearwood from that hearing room. NONE.
[Update] Rev. Yearwood is being charged with "assaulting a police officer" and will be arraigned tomorrow morning.