Do any of you journalists or editors love your country enough to follow up on this story?

Noel Sutter 603)661-5099

The Following is written by Sue, a middle-aged woman in Portsmouth, NH:

“On Feb. 16, 2005, at the Bush event in Portsmouth, NH, a friend and I tested freedom of speech in America, and found it defunct.

The event was touted as open to the public in the NH press but was really, as usual, just for Bush supporters (after two days of fruitless calling, my friend got tickets only by implying she was a Republican). We got in wearing TurnYourBackOnBush T-shirts under our sweaters (you can see pictures of the T-shirt on this page: www.turnyourbackonbush.org/photos.html ). We sat in the back, near the media (by the way — there were large numbers of empty seats, which we photographed with a phone camera; there were way under 2,000 there, less than half that — so why did the organizers tell us no seats were left). When Bush walked in, we moved to the (mainly empty) section directly in front of the banks of cameras, sat down, took off our sweaters — to reveal the T-shirt beneath. We had reversed the shirt so that the picture of the feet and the text was on our backs, facing the media. We made sure we were leaning forward so the press could get a good look. Almost immediately event staffers came and tried to block us by sitting behind us, but our whole row was empty so we just kept moving, and they kept following — very amusing really. They clearly wanted to throw us out but couldn’t because if they had tried, the cameras would have caught the whole thing, and of course Bush was speaking — it would have disrupted the event and been very embarrassing for them. We never clapped and as far as we could tell, were the only ones not clapping — confirming it was another Republican-only event, this time using taxpayer funds. When Bush was done and everyone began to leave, we stood in our row facing each other so that the departing Bush supporters could see the message on our backs. During the whole time we were there, we never spoke to anyone but each other; ours was a silent, peaceful, respectful protest. Then we decided to bring our message directly to Mr. Bush. After all, everyone else had been allowed to present their message of support — by clapping, by shaking his hand afterwards — so why couldn’t we go and silently stand there with our backs turned, presenting a message of dissent?

As soon as we left the safety of the media area with its banks of cameras and very interested reporters, and approached the Bush exit area (about 60 ft. away from the cameras), we were suddenly grabbed by plain-clothes officials who did not identify themselves and physically thrown out of the event.

Here’s how it went. Two huge men — not in uniform, did not identify themselves, behaving like thugs — crowded up next to us. (We are both small middle-aged women.) Mine said, “Time to leave” menacingly. When I said why, he said “Don’t make a scene.” I said I’m not making a scene but why do I have to leave? No answer; he started to push me and touch me. I said “Get your hands off me! Don’t you dare touch me!” and he stopped. He just crowded me forward. I said “Do you believe in the Bill of Rights?” No answer. “How about my freedom of speech?” No answer. “So now we don’t have freedom of speech?” No answer. “I was hoping the police would defend our rights and uphold the law.” No answer. All this time this huge bearish man kind of crowded me onward.

The same thing was happening to my friend. When she was grabbed by the arm, and told she was leaving NOW — the man kept saying, “You’re out of here!” — she asked who he was, but he refused to answer. She said, “You’re frightening me! Who are you?” Only then did he identify himself. Though many prominent Republicans witnessed our eviction, they didn’t lift a finger to prevent it — and in fact turned away and pretended it wasn’t happening.

They forced US citizens out of a taxpayer-funded public event because they didn’t like our T-shirts. I am far more terrified of the Bush regime than I am of terrorists. We must stop this cancer attacking our civil liberties before it undermines and destroys our democratic institutions.”