Page 10 - the NOISE May 2013

On Tuesday, March 26, Prescott-based peace activist and Vietnam veteran dennis duvall was found guilty of illegally trespassing at Prescott’s Army recruiting station by magistrate arthur markham at Yavapai County Courthouse.
The event in question took place on the morning of November 21, 2012, when Mr. DuVall —clad in his “Veterans for Peace” T- shit — entered the Prescott Gateway Mall re- cruiting station in the hope that he might en- gage in a dialogue with army sgt. ronald parker regarding US complicity with recent Israeli strikes on civilian populations in Gaza, specifically one that resulted in the death of 173 people, 43 of which were children. Af- ter repeatedly asking Mr. DuVall to leave, Sgt. Parker ultimately called Prescott Police, who responded to the scene and, after again at- tempting to convince Mr. DuVall to vacate the station peacefully, arrested the activist. Mr. DuVall, however, is adamant that he was acting within in rights.
“I believe I had the right as an American citizen to voice a legitimate grievance that the United States was committing a crime against humanity,” Mr. DuVall explains, “I be- lieve I had a duty to bring to the recruiter’s attention that United States involvement in the bombing attack on Gaza could result in retaliation and revenge attacks against US forces in the region.”
At the trial, Prescott City Prosecutor Glenn savona stated that while Mr. DuVall was act- ing within his rights by voicing his concern at the recruiting center, he was illegally tres- passing the moment Sgt. Parker requested that Mr. DuVall leave the station. By refusing to vacate, Mr. Savona argued that Mr. DuVall was essentially “step[ping] on other people’s rights,” and Judge Markham agreed, remind- ing Mr. DuVall — who acted as his own at- torney — that the trial was only concerned with whether or not Mr. DuVall was illegally trespassing, and not whether the US was act- ing in violation of international laws.
“For you to stay in the recruiters’ office was indeed the trespass you were accused of,” Jdg. Markham explained, ordering Mr. DuVall to pay a $303 fine, “I have no hesitation to find you guilty.”
Mr. DuVall, who visited Palestine in Janu- ary 2010, knows firsthand that many people in the Middle East see the United States and Israel as one and the same — a fact he feels many US citizens are unaware of — and it was due in part to this sentiment that he was
so compelled to act. He explained the tim- ing of his discussion attempt with Sgt. Parker was no coincidence: “At that very moment on November 21, 2012, Israeli military forces massing on the border threatened another land invasion of Gaza. Four years earlier, an Israeli air and land attack on Gaza killed 1,400 Palestinians and was called a war crime by the United Nations and Amnesty Interna- tional. On November 21, 2012, another such massacre appeared imminent.”
Mr. DuVall claims that both the United States and Israel — the only recipient of US military aid that is allowed to use US tax- payer money in order to purchase weapons
— are acting in violation of international laws such as those outlined in the Charter of the United Nations, the Nuremberg tribunals, and the universal declaration of human rights, a declaration the United Nations has long adopted, which acted as the basis for Mr. DuVall’s defense. Towards the trial’s con- clusion, Mr. DuVall gave Sgt. Parker a copy of the document. In addition to the declara- tion, Mr. DuVall was equipped with further evidence proving the United States has been acting not only in stark defiance of interna- tional laws, but US laws as well.
The US Foreign Assistance Act insures no military aid will go to countries that engage in “gross violations of internationally recog- nized human rights,” and the US Arms Export Control Act conditions the sale of military weapons “solely for legitimate self-defense.” The US War Crimes Act, which defines a war crime as a “grave breach of the Geneva Con- ventions,” mentions “willful killing, torture or inhuman treatment” in their definition. Based on these definitions, Mr. DuVall feels the US’ breaching of these laws is both dan- gerous and alarmingly obvious.
The information Mr. DuVall has been so ad- amant to spread is certainly eyebrow-raising. U.S.-supplied bullets and tear gas are rou- tinely used by Israel to commit human rights abuses of Palestinians. Israel continues to build illegal settlements on Palestinian land, Palestinian homes are demolished, Palestin- ians are denied freedom of movement and 5,000 Palestinians are in Israeli jails, 200 of which are children. As Mr. DuVall puts it, Gaza is “a humanitarian catastrophe” where 1.7 million people are living under an ille- gal siege, where people are starving, water is polluted and depleted uranium is poison- ing the environment. In addition to sharing this information at the trial, Mr. DuVall also
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