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With apologies to Ed-
From the Aurora Beacon-News:
Protest rips Cat over Israeli bulldozers
Unrest: Palestinian sympathizers say machines destroy homes and crops
By Steve Lord
STAFF WRITER
AURORA — Kevin Clark has a clear memory of watching Israeli soldiers pull bulldozers up to checkpoints near Noblus, a city of 129,000 in the occupied West Bank.
"When they brought the bulldozers through, the look of fear was unbelievable," said Clark, a member of the Northwest Suburban SUSTAIN (Stop U.S. Tax-funded Aid to Israel Now). "They know the reason the bulldozers are there. Either to demolish their homes or their olive groves."
Clark, of Palatine, was assisting Palestinians in the occupied settlements at the time. The Israelis were there to destroy homes of the families of suspected suicide bombers. The bulldozers were made by Caterpillar Inc., which has a plant outside Aurora.
That's why Clark and about 20 other demonstrators stood outside the Cat plant Wednesday afternoon during a shift change.
Clark said the mission was to let workers at the plant know what their company was up to, although he admitted research tells his organization the D-9 bulldozers used in Israel are manufactured in Arizona, not at the Aurora plant.
"This is the first time we've been at a plant," Clark said. "We have been demonstrating at offices, but we wanted to let the workers know."
Wednesday's protest was sponsored by SUSTAIN, Students for Social Justice and the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism.
Clark said a larger version is planned with about 100 organizations, and perhaps 3,000 to 4,000 people, at some point at the main Cat plant and offices in Peoria.
"We have put the company on notice that, on that day, we intend to serve a citizens' arrest on (Caterpillar Chief Executive Officer and Chairman) Glen Barton," Clark said.
Caterpillar, in a corporate statement read by D. Hudson Fortune, communications manager at the Aurora plant, said that, while the company understands there is political unrest in the world, there is nothing they can do about it. The statement said Cat has sold more than 2 million machines and products worldwide.
"We have neither the legal right nor the means to police individual use of that equipment," the statement said. It went on to say that is better addressed by government leaders who do have that authority.
Taking numbers
Demonstrators carried signs showing photos of some of the destruction they say the bulldozers have caused. They also held photos of Rachel Corrie, an American volunteer working in the occupied territories, who was run over and killed by a bulldozer in March as she tried to stop it from destroying a house.
One demonstrator carried a coffin in Corrie's memory. Another wore a cardboard bulldozer replica, with the words "Caterterrorism" written on the side.
"We want to tell the American workers to be aware that their products are killing people . . ." said Daoud Nabhan, a member of the Naperville-based End the Occupation. "Our president is now telling the Israelis that what they are doing is not helping the peace process. Our president is not being listened to."
The demonstrators also passed out leaflets to passing motorists and workers entering and leaving the property, all under the watchful eye of Illinois state troopers. At one point, troopers angered some protesters by taking down license plate numbers of the demonstrators.
While Wednesday's action took two hours, Clark promised there will be longer and bigger actions ahead.
"We will be in Peoria, and there will be more people that day," he said.
06/12/03
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I think I'll go protest at the match and lighter factories. 'Cause so many fires start using matches and lighters. I want the workers to know that the products they are making are burning down houses and businesses.
Then I'm going to go protest at the oil refineries. The gas they make is being used to make incindiary devices. Plus it's a pollutant.
I guess this is one other bad thing about a bad economy: when people can't find work, they've GOT to do something with their time.
From the Aurora Beacon-News:
Protest rips Cat over Israeli bulldozers
Unrest: Palestinian sympathizers say machines destroy homes and crops
By Steve Lord
STAFF WRITER
AURORA — Kevin Clark has a clear memory of watching Israeli soldiers pull bulldozers up to checkpoints near Noblus, a city of 129,000 in the occupied West Bank.
"When they brought the bulldozers through, the look of fear was unbelievable," said Clark, a member of the Northwest Suburban SUSTAIN (Stop U.S. Tax-funded Aid to Israel Now). "They know the reason the bulldozers are there. Either to demolish their homes or their olive groves."
Clark, of Palatine, was assisting Palestinians in the occupied settlements at the time. The Israelis were there to destroy homes of the families of suspected suicide bombers. The bulldozers were made by Caterpillar Inc., which has a plant outside Aurora.
That's why Clark and about 20 other demonstrators stood outside the Cat plant Wednesday afternoon during a shift change.
Clark said the mission was to let workers at the plant know what their company was up to, although he admitted research tells his organization the D-9 bulldozers used in Israel are manufactured in Arizona, not at the Aurora plant.
"This is the first time we've been at a plant," Clark said. "We have been demonstrating at offices, but we wanted to let the workers know."
Wednesday's protest was sponsored by SUSTAIN, Students for Social Justice and the Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism.
Clark said a larger version is planned with about 100 organizations, and perhaps 3,000 to 4,000 people, at some point at the main Cat plant and offices in Peoria.
"We have put the company on notice that, on that day, we intend to serve a citizens' arrest on (Caterpillar Chief Executive Officer and Chairman) Glen Barton," Clark said.
Caterpillar, in a corporate statement read by D. Hudson Fortune, communications manager at the Aurora plant, said that, while the company understands there is political unrest in the world, there is nothing they can do about it. The statement said Cat has sold more than 2 million machines and products worldwide.
"We have neither the legal right nor the means to police individual use of that equipment," the statement said. It went on to say that is better addressed by government leaders who do have that authority.
Taking numbers
Demonstrators carried signs showing photos of some of the destruction they say the bulldozers have caused. They also held photos of Rachel Corrie, an American volunteer working in the occupied territories, who was run over and killed by a bulldozer in March as she tried to stop it from destroying a house.
One demonstrator carried a coffin in Corrie's memory. Another wore a cardboard bulldozer replica, with the words "Caterterrorism" written on the side.
"We want to tell the American workers to be aware that their products are killing people . . ." said Daoud Nabhan, a member of the Naperville-based End the Occupation. "Our president is now telling the Israelis that what they are doing is not helping the peace process. Our president is not being listened to."
The demonstrators also passed out leaflets to passing motorists and workers entering and leaving the property, all under the watchful eye of Illinois state troopers. At one point, troopers angered some protesters by taking down license plate numbers of the demonstrators.
While Wednesday's action took two hours, Clark promised there will be longer and bigger actions ahead.
"We will be in Peoria, and there will be more people that day," he said.
06/12/03
----------------------
I think I'll go protest at the match and lighter factories. 'Cause so many fires start using matches and lighters. I want the workers to know that the products they are making are burning down houses and businesses.
Then I'm going to go protest at the oil refineries. The gas they make is being used to make incindiary devices. Plus it's a pollutant.
I guess this is one other bad thing about a bad economy: when people can't find work, they've GOT to do something with their time.
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