No, not the one in D.C.
Police Arrest Vietnam Veterans at NYC Memorial
Its like Deja Vu all over again.
Veterans of the Vietnam War were arrested earlier tonight at the New York City memorial after staying on the premises past the curfew time of 10 p.m. Police gave multiple warnings as veterans continued to read from a list of names. Video from the event shows that not only veterans were loaded into the paddy wagon, but also younger participants in the vigil as well.
The gathering took place in part to protest the twelfth anniversary of the war in Afghanistan. A similar protest and set of arrests occurred last year at the memorial. In the video embedded below, a veteran tells police that they are there to bring awareness to the "immense atrocities" committed in Vietnam, and that "some of you are so much younger, and history has been denied you, so you just need to know why we are here."
That's my friend Mike Hastie who was one of those vets arrested last year.
"The reason people don't learn from the past, is because the past was a repetitious lie to begin with."
Mike Hastie
U.S. Army Medic
Vietnam 1970-71
^ A Dust Off at Mike's unit in Vietnam
Back in 1988 Mike and I, along with a bunch of other vets, occupied the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial to protest the treatment of homeless vets. Stayed for about 2 weeks and didn't get hassled at all.
Occupying before occupying was cool.
8:00 AM PT: Just talked to Mike. This AM they all walked around Wall Street and they stuck this Smedley Butler quote on the the Bull's balls!!!!
"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers."