Disruption of Kissinger's Speech in Minneapolis
by Dave B.
Thu May 8 '03 dave@colorstudy.com
Twincities Independent Media Center

http://tc.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=12508&group=webcast

On May Day, we infiltrated a speech by Henry Kissinger, posing as Republican volunteers. We interrupted his speech 3 times to call attention to his war crimes. This is a first-hand account, followed by the statement we tried to read.

I'd like to report on the protest and disruption at the Kissinger speech on May 1. It was a joint effort of a group of 7 of us who infiltrated the event, a larger crowd outside, and a few folks who entered the public hallways of the Convention Center. I can only report first-hand on the events on the inside. The statement that we tried to present inside is printed at the bottom of this post.

The occasion was a speech by Henry Kissinger, the honored guest at the annual fundraising dinner for the Center of the American Experiment, the local right-wing think tank. It was held in the downtown Minneapolis Convention Center on Thursday evening (May Day!).

Henry Kissinger was the Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford. He is implicated in numerous war crimes - mass slaughter in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, East Timor, Bangladesh and South America. He is perhaps best known for his role in the overthrow of the democratically elected Allende in Chile, and his replacement with the dictator Pinochet. Of that, he said, "The issues are much too important for the Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves." A good source on the internet for more information is www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Kissinger/HKissinger.html

Kissinger is wanted for questioning by courts in Chile, Argentina, France, and Spain. He should not be telling his lies in Minneapolis; he should be telling the truth, under oath, to the people of the world! This is a man who has committed crimes many orders of magnitude larger than those of anyone on death row. But instead of being imprisoned for life, he is actually honored by the Center of the American Experiment and their rich guests!

We knew that we had to do what we could to call attention to this private event, and to make sure that Kissinger can not travel and speak with total impunity.

Seven of us signed up as volunteers for the event (posing as Republicans). We first had to go to a volunteers' training meeting the week before. We were amazed to find that they did no screening or background checks on the volunteers! This meeting was helpful, because we were able to obtain inside information on the times and locations of the various receptions and other details which were used to help plan the outside demonstration.

On the night of the event, we all dressed in our finest, and blended in with the other 40 or so volunteers doing our jobs as ticket takers, ushers, etc. It was quite the gala event, more rich people than I've ever seen in one place -- over 1500 of the right-wing elite, including a who's who of Minnesota's ruling class. Tickets were $150 per plate minimum, up to $2500 each for those who wanted a private reception with Kissinger and Governor Pawlenty. Incidentally, I've been to several demonstrations at the Capitol with the Welfare Rights Committee - Pawlenty is never available. But for the rich, he shows up. I always figured that access to the Governor was for sale, I've just never before seen the price list!

At 7:00, after the various receptions, the volunteers joined all the guests in the ballroom for the dinner and speeches. Many guests had been accosted by the demonstrators on their way in, but now they were all 'safely' inside their private event. It was a lovely setup, with fancy place settings, gold-edged napkins, a little flag on every table. After the presentation by the color guard, the National Anthem, and some introductions, Kissinger began his speech.

Our plan was to pop up individually or in small groups, in order to maximize the number of interruptions. Each time, we blew a whistle, in order to make enough noise to call attention to ourselves in the large room, then started to speak. That was effective: each time, everyone turned around to see what was happening, and Kissinger had to stop speaking. We had a statement prepared that we read from. As we expected, though, each group was very quickly and forcibly evicted from the room. Kissinger would then make a little joke and continue.

After the first two groups went, only my daughter and I remained. By now they were getting suspicious! The volunteer coordinator tapped us on the shoulders and asked, "You aren't anticipating doing anything like that, are you?" We assured him that we were not, and then waited another 5 to 10 minutes. We had planned to do our disruptions individually, but we now knew that we would both be ejected if either one spoke. So we rose together, my daughter blowing the whistle, and we started to yell. They were on us immediately, carrying us rapidly to the doors. There were three guys on me, one with his hand over my mouth. I had planned to stand my ground, but I realized I was no longer touching the ground -- there was nothing I could do. We were farther from the door than the other groups, so we were able to get out four sentences or so. I doubt anyone could hear much of what we were saying, but at least they knew we were protesting Kissinger.

So did it accomplish anything? Relative to what Kissinger deserves, very little obviously. But we did stop the speech three times, and in that small way we made it clear that you can't honor a notorious war criminal in Minneapolis without at least being aware that some of us condemn you for it. We probably aren't going to change the minds of the wealthy elite (for whose benefit such crimes are committed), but we can make them less comfortable at their fancy exclusive events. Perhaps fewer of them will leave the security of their gated communities to attend the next event.

One of our purposes at any action is to call enough attention to ourselves and our cause to be able to educate the public. In this case, we got pretty good coverage in the StarTribune, telling of our action as well as the political reasons behind it. (A copy of that article was posted to this website last Friday.) Without the actions both inside and outside the Convention Center, the story in the paper would have included only Kissinger's point of view. To get in the news, you have to make news.

The cost to ourselves was minimal, aside from the time to plan and carry out the action. I admit to being very nervous, and we were prepared for the possibility of arrest. But we were just dumped outside on the sidewalk, with no further consequences. To be fair, the security people were very quick and effective, but they were not unnecessarily rough. I would strongly recommend that others take advantage of similar opportunities in the future.

Below is the statement that we would have liked to have read to Kissinger and the guests. It was meant as a speech, not a written statement, so it would be best appreciated read aloud, with fire and passion!

Statement to Henry Kissinger and Audience, May 1, 2003

We came here to hear you speak - but we demand you speak the truth. Henry Kissinger, it is time to tell the truth about your career as a war criminal. You are responsible for the deaths of millions in illegal and immoral wars, invasions and coups. You have overthrown democracies and installed dictators. And you have committed all your crimes for the benefit of the wealthy and the powerful.

Henry Kissinger, it is time that you testify, under oath, to the people of the world. Courts in many nations have demanded that you appear and testify. Tell us why you can not travel to Chile, to France, to Brazil, to Great Britain, to Argentina. You are afraid to tell the truth.

I also want to speak to you who are assembled here tonight to honor this war criminal. Stand with me and demand the truth. Or leave now and join the honorable people demonstrating in the street outside. For if you choose to stay, you will be judged by the company you keep. Yes, Governor Pawlenty, that includes you as well - we will remember that you associate with a mass murderer.

You are all people of wealth and privilege. And you have chosen to donate some small portion of that wealth to an organization that supports Henry Kissinger and the murderous foreign policy that he represents. You are complicit. The Center of the American Experiment is complicit. And you deserve to have your meeting disturbed. We have come to disturb your fancy dinner, and we have come to disturb your consciences. Henry Kissinger, in just one of your illegal wars, the carpet bombing of Cambodia, a half million men, women, and children were killed. It would take three ballrooms this size, stacked full from floor to ceiling, to hold the bloody and burnt corpses of your victims from that one crime. That is a deeply disturbing image. I hope you will all hold that image in your minds as you eat your gourmet dinner.

But the bombing of Cambodia is part of a pattern of killing to advance your own power, and to promote the power of those who have employed you. Henry Kissinger, you secretly sabotaged the peace process in 1968, extending the Vietnam War, which killed another 20,000 US soldiers and millions of Vietnamese. You orchestrated the overthrow of the democratically elected Allende in Chile and installed the dictator Pinochet. You told Suharto of Indonesia that he could use United States arms to invade East Timor, ultimately killing one third of their population. That is just a sample of the crimes we know about. What else are you hiding? What is in your papers and records that you have locked away, only to be revealed five years after your death? Speak to us now and tell the truth!

Henry Kissinger, tell us the truth about your current activities. You have built a career based on secrecy and lies to cover your crimes. We know that that career continues. You were appointed to head the commission to investigate the terrorist attacks of September 11th. But you resigned from that position of service to your nation, because you were unwilling to reveal who you associate with now. What are you doing with your secret accomplices? And yes, we know that you were appointed to that position in order to cover up the truth - the truth that the Bush administration is so afraid of. For that has been the very nature of your career. You have been a servant of the powerful, and you have been willing to commit any crime, to cover up any atrocity, in order to promote their power.