The War Begins

(April 2003)

Urszula Masny-Latos, issue editor, writes:

Guild activity is once again at a feverish pitch as the US war of aggression against Iraq begins. Demonstrations with and without permits are taking place every day throughout the state. Demonstrators are committing civil disobedience, sometimes calling the Guild to notify us in advance, and sometimes calling from jail cells. Many Guild lawyers have volunteered to represent protesters and we have gotten a great response to our call for help from the criminal defense bar to represent the hundreds that have been arrested. Our Mass Defense Committee is coordinating the defense of protesters from Boston to Natick to Chicopee.Law students from many of the area’s schools have been trained as legal observers and are acting as legal observers for the first time. In our first article, Mariusz Kurzyna, a student at Northeastern Law School, describes his experiences as an observer at the day-long protests that took place the day after the bombing started.Former Board Member John Bonifaz did what lawyers across the country were dreaming of doing – he sued George W. to try to stop the war. In our second article, John describes the lawsuit challenging Bush’s authority to wage war against Iraq absent a congressional declaration of war or equivalent action. Although not detailed here, national NLG President-elect Michael Avery coordinated the filing of an amicus brief on behalf of 74 law professors in support of the plaintiffs.In the third article, local activist Nancy Lessin, parent of a Marine deployed to the Middle East and plaintiff in the lawsuit against Bush, describes her excitement when the First Circuit Court of Appeals first agreed to an expedited review and then left open the possibility of real review when the war started. Unfortunately, as we all expected, the courts were not up to the challenge to take a stand (which will not stop us from trying again in the future).In the last article, Board Members Neil Berman and Marguerite Helen describe their work with the Guild’s Military Law Task Force and the GI Rights Hotline. Calls for help to both have risen dramatically since the drum roll to war began.We need you to help in any way you can – legally, organizationally, financially, or in the streets. Call us today!

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