Antiwar Prisoner Clarifies Arrest

Anti-war activist Steve Argue wrote to clarify our coverage of the events leading to his imprisonment in Santa Cruz, California:

"Thank you for reporting on my jailing here in the Santa Cruz County Jail. An investigation was ordered by the Citizen's Police Review Board (CPRB) into the police misconduct that led to me being jailed. The CPRB is a government body set up by the Santa Cruz City Council. They ordered the $10,000 investigation into police misconduct at the May 22 demonstration against the U.S. war on Yugoslavia and have maintained the results should be made public. The City Council, however, decided in a closed door meeting with police representatives not to make the results public, keeping their individual votes secret as well.

"There was a mistake that you made in the article [in the Nuclear Resister # 118]. You state officers "painfully wrenched a woman away from the young child she held, Argue [me] intervened and punched the officer."

"Actually the child was never wrenched away from the mother. The kid held tight screaming: "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" over and over again. The mother, for no justifiable or legal reason, was put in a pain compliance hold. Her wrist was twisted so bad it looked like it would snap and her hand was purple. She was screaming out in pain as her child screamed for mommy. I warned the officer assaulting the mother to stop twice. I then punched the officer allowing the mother and child to escape further harm."

Argue is due to complete his 10-month sentence and be released June 13.

Letters of support may be sent to Steve Argue, Santa Cruz County Jail, Unit K, 259 Water St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060.