The St. Patrick's Four

First amendment? Pah, what does that matter to the Feds.

NEW YORK, Sept. 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Four peace activists face up to eight years in federal prison and $275,000 fines each for their non-violent protest of the Iraq war if convicted of the federal charges filed against them in U.S. District Court. The trial, which begins Sept. 19 in Binghamton, N.Y., is the first time the Federal government has pressed conspiracy charges against civilian Iraq war protesters.

"Federal intervention in this case represents a blatant act of government intimidation and will have a chilling effect on expression of the first amendment rights of any citizen to protest or speak out against their government," said Bill Quigley, acclaimed public interest lawyer and law professor at Loyola University School of Law, who is acting as legal advisor to the defendants.

The St. Patrick's Four have been charged with "conspiracy to impede an officer of the United States by threat, intimidation and force" and other lesser charges for their actions at their local military recruiting station on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2003, two days before the US military invasion of Iraq began.

A previous trial in county court on charges of criminal mischief and trespassing resulted in a hung jury, with nine of twelve members favoring acquittal.

Who are the St. Patrick's four? Islamists? Terror enablers? Traitors? Anarchists. They're four members of the Catholic Workers Movement who protested by praying at a military recruitment station and carefully poured a small amount of their own blood on poster and the US flag to symbolize the violence of war and the sanctity of life.

For more info visit stpatricksfour.org