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A Massachusetts man is in jail for 60 days after leafletting workers - twice in the same day - inside Raytheon Corporation's Andover plant.
alyosha witness, a member of the Bread and Roses affinity group, arrived with a few friends at Raytheon mid-morning on Wednesday, October 4. While Raytheon production workers were recently on strike, witness had discussed the issue with friends. He concluded it was right to support workers in labor disputes but it was also important to raise the possibility of choosing to work somewhere else.
With this thought in mind, witness drafted a letter to Raytheon workers, and while his friends held a banner at the gate, witness walked up the long drive to the guardhouse. He gave a copy of this letter to the guards:
dear Raytheon worker,
i respect you deeply as a person, and respect many of the reasons you may have for working for Raytheon, such as concern for your family or your community. nevertheless -- even *because* of some of those reasons -- i urge you to consider working for a less violent cause. i believe that the violence and oppression that Raytheon perpetuates, *as a corporation,* is wrong; and i believe that there are better ways to resolve conflicts, organize society and honor the earth. i'm here to talk with you about it, if you want. or you can write me at alyoshaw@hotmail.com.
love from [signed] alyosha witness.
there is no way to peace, peace is the way.
After some discussion, witness insisted he proceed inside to give his letter to other workers, including those just back after the strike was settled. Guards called police, and witness was arrested for trespass.
witness had been arrested at Raytheon on Tax Day, April 15, and was released until trial (with co-defendant Sean Donahue) October 17. But the court record did not show he had ever been ordered to stay away from Raytheon. So the judge released witness on his own recognizance, warning him not to return to Raytheon, and making note of this order.
After talking with friends, witness decided he was doing the right thing to return and reach out to more workers. That afternoon, he climbed over a fence at the rear of Raytheon's property and walked into a secured building. He gave copies of his letter to electronics workers in the first open room, and was soon arrested. witness was brought before a judge the next morning, who upheld the order of the previous day and sent him to jail for up to 60 days.
Five Raytheon Peacemakers arrested at Raytheon last April 18 go to trial October 30.
For more information, contact Sean Donahue at breadandroses_wrl@yahoo.com or (603)228-0559. support action
Letters of support can be sent to alyosha witness, Essex County Correctional Facility, Cell 239, Block 120B, POB 807, Middleton, MA 01949.
