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Protesters Refuse To Exit Nadler's Office

Submitted by davidswanson on Fri, 2008-01-04 21:07.

By BENJAMIN SARLIN, New York Sun

Four anti-war protesters were arrested at Rep. Jerrold Nadler's Brooklyn office Wednesday night when they refused to leave after closing hours.

The demonstrators, part of a group of about 15, sought to convince Mr. Nadler, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

"Congressman Nadler continues to meet with his constituents, concerned activists, and organizations on the issue of impeachment, and recognizes that this is an important and passionate issue for many," a spokesman for Mr. Nadler, Shin Inouye, said in a statement yesterday. "As we told the activists conducting a sit-in at the Congressman's Brooklyn office, they were welcome to stay unless they threatened public safety or interrupted the office's ability to serve the Congressman's constituents."

One of the demonstrators who was arrested, Elaine Brower, said she refused to leave Mr. Nadler's office because she was "determined to make a point and it seems to be the only thing that gets attention."

"My son is in the Marine Corps. He was in active duty in Afghanistan and in Iraq and most likely he will be redeployed next year," Ms. Brower, 53, said yesterday. "So I have a personal stake here in ending the war." Ms. Brower said her son, James, has served as a New York City Police Department officer in between overseas deployments.

The protesters represented several anti-war groups, including Not In Our Name and World Can't Wait. All four demonstrators who were arrested were released by 8:30 yesterday morning, Ms. Brower said.

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