Northwest Ohioans joining protest at U.S. Army facility

11/17/2006

A group of about 30 people from northwest Ohio are joining an annual protest this weekend at Fort Benning, Ga., home of the U.S. Army s School of the Americas (now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation).

This is the 16th year of the protest, which seeks the closure of the institute.

Despite a shocking human rights record, this school continues to operate with U.S. taxpayer money, said the Rev. Chester Chambers, a member of the Toledo Area Committee on Central America. Closing the SOA would send a strong human rights message to Latin America and the world.

The delegation from northwest Ohio includes members of the Tiffin Sisters of St. Francis and students from Bowling Green State University and St. John s Jesuit High School.