[DEBATE] : Fwd: John Bolton to be subject to citizen's arrest -Daily Telegraph (did this happen?)

[Mandi Smallhorne]

Naaauw! He tried, but wasn't allowed to get close to Bolton.
Mandi

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sean Jacobs" <tintinyana at gmail.com>
To: <debate at debate.kabissa.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 3:35 PM
Subject: [DEBATE] : Fwd: John Bolton to be subject to citizen's
arrest -Daily Telegraph (did this happen?)



--------------
>
> John Bolton to be target of citizen's arrest at Hay Festival
>
> By Stephen Adams, Arts Correspondent
>
> Last Updated: 3:18PM BST 28/05/2008
>
> John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, faces a
> citizen's arrest when he addresses an audience at the Hay Festival
> in Wales
> this evening.
>
> George Monbiot, the journalist and activist, is planning the action
> because
> he believes Mr Bolton is a "war criminal".
>
> He said he was surprised that Mr Bolton would be allowed to "swim
> through
> the politest of polite soirees – which is of course Hay."
>
> Mr Bolton, who was the American ambassador to the UN from August
> 2005 to
> January 2006, is due to talk at the Hay-on-Wye literary festival at
> 6.30pm
> on international relations.
>
> Mr Monbiot, a columnist for The Guardian newspaper, plans to detain
> him as
> he steps off stage at the end of his talk. He said he was prepared
> to jump
> on stage and perform the citizen's arrest there if necessary.
>
> He claimed Mr Bolton was "instrumental in preparing and initiating
> the Iraq
> war by disseminating false claims through the State Department"
> while he
> was under-secretary of state for arms control.
>
> Mr Monbiot, who took part in a debate at Hay on Saturday entitled
> "Defeat:
> Why They Lost Iraq", has been a fierce critic of the decision to
> launch the
> 2003 invasion.
>
> He said he had formally notified police of his intention of
> performing a
> citizen's arrest.
>
> Mr Monbiot said: "This is the one opportunity we have, because he is
> mingling with the public, which doesn't happen very often."
>
> He added: "I can't think of another case where someone who has been
> instrumental in planning the war has been exposed to the public, so
> I'm
> taking the opportunity.
>
> "John Bolton was pushing for the Iraq war long before he became part
> of the
> administration."
>
> Explaining his motivation for carrying out what will be a purely
> symbolic
> gesture, Mr Monbiot said: "Many people accept that the launching of
> the
> Iraq war was an international crime, but no one has yet been
> prepared to
> act on it by arresting one of the perpetrators."
>
> Peter Florence, director of the Hay Festival, said Mr Monbiot’s
> attempt at
> a citizen’s arrest would be “completely unlawful”.
>
> He said: "The Hay Festival has sought the advice of both police and
> lawyers, and has been unequivocally assured that a citizen’s arrest,
> or an
> attempt to instigate a citizen’s arrest, would be completely
> unlawful in
> these circumstances.
>
> "The Hay Festival remains committed to providing a platform for
> speakers
> from a diverse range of political and social backgrounds.
>
> "However much we might take issue with a speaker’s beliefs or
> opinions, we
> remain steadfast in our intention to provide them with a safe and free
> environment in which their views might be discussed with others.
>
> "The Hay Festival encourages visitors to voice their opinions, but
> also
> requires that, in their expression, they respect both the law and the
> speaker."
>
> A. Tom Grunfeld
> SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor
> Empire State College/ SUNY
> 325 Hudson Street, 5th Floor
> New York, New York 10013-1005
> Tel: 646-230-1248, Fax: 212-647-7829